title: Eight-week oral administration of meloxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, prevents dose reduction of pegylated interferon alpha-2a in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We conducted a trial to evaluate whether eight-week oral administration of meloxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, would decrease the rate of the patients who required dose reduction of pegylated interferon alpha-2a in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty patients given weekly subcutaneous administration of pegylated interferon alpha-2a at a dose of 180 mug for 48 weeks were allocated into the meloxicam group (n = 22) and the control group (n = 38) before interferon treatment. Meloxicam was given orally at a dose of 10 mg once a day for eight weeks from the start of interferon treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cumulative rate of dose-reduction-free patients was significantly higher in the meloxicam group (P < 0.05). Until week eight, 44.7% of the control group and 9.1% of the meloxicam group required dose reduction. Dose was modified by neutropenia in 31.6% and 18.2% of the control and meloxicam groups, respectively. Meloxicam relieved a declineof neutrophil count within the first eight weeks from 54.2% to 44.2% (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that greater pretreatment neutrophil count and the use of meloxicam were independent factors associated with avoiding dose reduction. Sustained virological response was obtained in 52.6% of the patients. The multivariate logistic analysis revealed that viral serotype and viral load were the only independent factors associated with sustained virological response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Eight-week administration of meloxicam prevented dose reduction of pegylated interferon by relieving a decline of neutrophil count in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kagawa
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shiozawa
authors.forename: Sei-Ichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takashimizu
authors.forename: Naruhiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Numata
authors.forename: Fumitoshi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Morino
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishizaki
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
authors.forename: Norihito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Tetsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Shohei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuzaki
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mine