The treatment of chronic hepatitis C with peginterferon alfa-2a (40 kDa) plus ribavirin in haemodialysed patients awaiting renal transplant.
OBJECTIVE
We undertook a pilot study to investigate the efficacy and safety of peginterferon alfa-2a (40 kDa) plus ribavirin in haemodialysed chronic HCV patients awaiting renal transplant.


METHODS
Patients received peginterferon alfa-2a 135 microg/week plus ribavirin 200 mg/day for 24 or 48 weeks (genotype non-1 and 1, respectively). The dose of ribavirin was tailored according to plasma concentrations and to haemoglobin levels. Outcomes in treated patients were compared with those of a matched untreated control group.


RESULTS
Thirty-five patients received treatment, while 35 served as untreated controls. Thirty patients completed treatment; patients were withdrawn due to transplantation (n=2), severe anaemia (n=1), dermatitis (n=1) and non-response (n=1) resulting in a drop-out rate of 14%. Overall, 34/35 treated patients were HCV RNA negative at week 4 and had undetectable RNA at the end of treatment, compared with none of the untreated controls (ETR 97% vs 0%; p<0.001). Moreover, all achieved sustained virological response after 24 weeks of treatment-free follow-up versus no control patients (SVR 97% vs 0 %; p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
In this study, we have shown for the first time in a large cohort of patients that HCV-patients on haemodialysis can be treated successfully with peginterferon alfa-2a (40 kDa) plus ribavirin.
Rendina
Maria
M
Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, Section of Gastroenterology, University of Bari, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy.
Schena
Antonio
A
Castellaneta
Nicola Maurizio
NM
Losito
Francesco
F
Amoruso
Anna Cinzia
AC
Stallone
Giovanni
G
Schena
Francesco Paolo
FP
Di Leo
Alfredo
A
Francavilla
Antonio
A
D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a