[Clinical outcome of pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C].
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to elucidate the efficacy and safety of combined peginterferon and ribavirin therapy in Korean patients with chronic HCV infection.


METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed the clinical records of 84 patients. Thirty five patients with genotype 1 HCV infection were treated with peginterferon alpha-2a 180 microg/week and ribavirin 1,000-1,200 mg/day for 48 weeks, and 49 patients with genotype non-1 were treated with peginterferon alpha-2a 180 microg/week and ribavirin 800 mg/day for 24 weeks.


RESULTS
An early virologic response was seen in 87.0% of patients with genotype 1 HCV. An end of treatment response (ETR) was seen in 82.6% and 97.6% of patients with genotype 1 and genotype non-1, respectively. An overall sustained virologic response (SVR) was seen in 53 patients (82.8%) of the 64 patients: in 16 (69.6%) of 23 patients with genotype 1 and in 37 (90.2%) of 41 patients with genotype non-1. An end of treatment biochemical response was seen in 58 patients (90.6%) [genotype 1, 20 patients (87.0%); genotype non-1, 38 patients (92.7%)], and a sustained biochemical response was achieved in 49 patients (76.6%) [genotype 1, 14 patients (60.9%); genotype non-1, 35 patients (85.4%)]. Independent factors affecting an SVR were HCV genotype and the baseline HCV RNA level.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that a combination therapy of peginterferon and ribavirin is highly effective for chronic HCV infection, producing a high SVR and ETR.
Kim
Kyoung-Tae
KT
Department of Internal Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
Han
Sang-Young
SY
Kim
Jong-Han
JH
Yoon
Hyun-Ah
HA
Baek
Yang-Hyun
YH
Kim
Min-Ji
MJ
Lee
Sung-Wook
SW
Jang
Jin-Seok
JS
Lee
Jong-Hun
JH
Roh
Myung-Hwan
MH
D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a