Triple therapy of initial high-dose interferon with ribavirin and amantadine for patients with chronic hepatitis C.
OBJECTIVE
We previously reported the potential effect of combination therapy of an initial high-dose interferon (IFN) and amantadine on the eradication of HCV-RNA in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The additive effects of amantadine on interferon and ribavirin combination therapy remain controversial. In this study we investigated the efficacy of initial high-dose IFN with ribavirin and amantadine on the virological response in patients with chronic hepatitis C with a high viral load of genotype 1b.


METHODS
Twenty-two patients with high viral loads of genotype 1b hepatitis C virus were enrolled in this pilot study. Patients were administered IFN-beta for four weeks and then IFN-alpha2b for 22 weeks with daily oral administration of ribavirin and amantadine.


RESULTS
A sustained virological response (SVR) was shown in 31.8% (seven of 22 patients). With the naïve patients, the SVR rate was 21.4% (three of 14 patients). In patients who could not eradicate HCV-RNA by previous IFN monotherapy, the SVR rate was 50% (four of eight patients).


CONCLUSIONS
Triple therapy with an initial high dose of IFN with ribavirin and amantadine may be effective, especially for chronic hepatitis C IFN-retreatment patients with a high viral load of genotype 1b.
Uyama
Hirokazu
H
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Nakamura
Hideji
H
Hayashi
Eijiro
E
Ogawa
Hiroyuki
H
Enomoto
Hirayuki
H
Yoshida
Kenya
K
Okuda
Yorihide
Y
Yamamoto
Mitsunari
M
Hada
Toshikazu
T
Hayashi
Norio
N