title: A short course of pegylated interferon-alpha in acute HCV hepatitis.
abstract: Acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection evolves to chronicity in 50-84% cases. Treatment with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) was repeatedly found to provide sustained cure rates higher than that in chronic HCV infection, but the optimal treatment strategy has not yet been defined. In a multicentre open-label study, we investigated the therapeutic performance of a short course of pegylated (peg) IFN-alpha in patients with acute HCV hepatitis. Peg IFN-alpha2b, 1.0-1.5 micro g/kg weekly, was administered for 12 weeks. Forty-six patients were enrolled; 26 of them were intravenous drug users. Eleven patients had jaundice. Treatment was started within 1-90 days from the peak alanine aminotransferase. Treatment was well tolerated with a single dropout (2%). Thirty-three of 46 patients (72%) had a sustained virological response (SVR) after a 6 months post-treatment follow-up, 8 (17%) relapsed after treatment and 4 were nonresponders (9%). A lower peak viraemia, receiving at least 1.2 micro g/kg of peg IFN-alpha, and a negative HCV-RNA at week 4 and week 12 were predictors of SVR. Thus, in patients with early (week 4) viral response, a short course of peg IFN-alpha at a weekly dose >1.2 micro g/kg, may be a valuable option for the treatment of acute HCV hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Amedeo di Savoia Hospital, Torino, Italy. calleri@asl3.to.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calleri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cariti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gaiottino
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: De Rosa
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bargiacchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Audagnotto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Quaglia
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: De Blasi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Traverso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Del Mastro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tinelli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caramello
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Perri
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000254:growth & development*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b