title: Kinetics of hepatitis C virus RNA load during pegylated interferon plus ribavirin therapy in Treatment-naive Chinese patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the viral kinetics of Chinese CHC patients received pegylated interferon plus ribavirin and examine the impact of HCV genotypes and severity of liver disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  65 treatment-naove CHC patients who finished a 24-week therapy with peginterferon (alpha-2b (1.5 mcg/kg/week) plus ribavirin (1000-1200 mg /day) and 24 weeks of follow-up were enrolled. Hepatic fibrosis was graded by the METAVIR scoring system. Serum quantitative HCV RNA was determined by Versant HCV RNA 3.0 assay (Bayer Inc.).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Genotype non-1 patients responded quickly and a higher percentage of them achieved undetectable HCV RNA (< 615 IU/mL) at week 4 compared with genotype 1 patients (93% vs. 69%, p = 0.018). Degree of hepatic fibrosis significantly affected end-of-treatment and sustained response (SVR). For patients who did not achieve early virological response (EVR), the negative predictive value for SVR was 100%. In genotype 1 patients, undetectable HCV RNA by week 4 was a good marker to predict treatment response, with a positive predictive value of 84% and a negative predictive value of 82%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EVR can be applied to Chinese patients as an early stopping rule. A 24-week duration of pegylated IFN/ribavirin might be adequate for genotype 1 patients who rapidly responded to therapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, No-201, Sec 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei, Taiwan 11217, Republic of China. cjchu@vghtpe.gov.tw
authors.forename: Chi-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Yuan-Jen
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shinn-Jang
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Rei-Hwa
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Full-Young
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chiao-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Ya-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Shou-Dong
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b