title: Pegylated interferon and ribavirin in re-treatment of responder-relapser HCV patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The re-treatment of patients who relapse after a course of standard interferon and ribavirin with pegylated interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin is an open issue.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate efficacy and safety of treatment with pegylated interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin and the role of early HCV-RNA assessment as a predictor of sustained response.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between May 2001 and December 2002, 242 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C were enrolled in an open, regional, multicentre study. Seventy-eight of them were responder-relapsers to a previous course of combination therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were treated with pegylated interferon alfa-2b (1 microg/kg/week) plus ribavirin (800-1200 mg daily). Qualitative HCV-RNA was performed at week 2. Genotypes 1-4 were treated for 48 weeks, while genotypes 2 and 3 were treated for 24 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We obtained an overall sustained virological response rate of 41.0% (78.6% for patients with genotypes 2-3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This treatment schedule prove to be safe and effective in relapsers with genotype non-1 while genotype 1-4 patients had a low rate of sustained virological response. Qualitative virological assessment after 2 weeks may identify patients who are more likely to reach sustained virological response, but it is not a valid tool for a stopping rule approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, n. 6, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Torre
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grasso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Percario
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Azzola
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Artioli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blanchi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Picciotto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012008:Recurrence; D019233:Retreatment; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b