title: Efficacy and long-term follow up of combination therapy with interferon alpha and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C in Korea.
abstract: Combination therapy with interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) and ribavirin for 24 or 48 weeks according to HCV genotype has improved the overall sustained virological response (SVR) rates to approximately 40%. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term efficacy of combination therapy with IFN-alpha and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C in Koreans. One hundred thirty-eight patients with chronic hepatitis C who received this combination therapy between 1995 and 2003 were analyzed retrospectively. All patients were treated with IFN-alpha 3-6 million units three times weekly in combination with 900-1200 mg/day of ribavirin for 24 weeks. The overall SVR rate was 41.3%. Patients were followed up for a median of 41 months (range, 12-105 months) after completion of therapy. In all of the SVR patients (57 patients), SVR was conserved during the follow-up period. None of the patients progressed to decompensated liver disease or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, 5 of the 81 non-SVR patients (6.2%) progressed to decompensated liver disease or HCC. In conclusion, combination therapy with IFN-alpha and ribavirin shows good long-term efficacy in patients with chronic hepatitis C in Korea, one of the highest endemic areas of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jie-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kwang-Hyub
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Kwan Sik
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young Nyun
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sang Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Chae Yoon
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chon
authors.forename: Young Myoung
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Moon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012254:Ribavirin