title: [Clinical outcome of pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C].
abstract: 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.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors: Kyoung-Tae
authors: KT
authors: Kim
authors: Sang-Young
authors: SY
authors: Han
authors: Jong-Han
authors: JH
authors: Kim
authors: Hyun-Ah
authors: HA
authors: Yoon
authors: Yang-Hyun
authors: YH
authors: Baek
authors: Min-Ji
authors: MJ
authors: Kim
authors: Sung-Wook
authors: SW
authors: Lee
authors: Jin-Seok
authors: JS
authors: Jang
authors: Jong-Hun
authors: JH
authors: Lee
authors: Myung-Hwan
authors: MH
authors: Roh
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a