Prospective study of short-term peginterferon-alpha-2a monotherapy in patients who had a virological response at 2 weeks after initiation of interferon therapy.
OBJECTIVE
Long-term interferon (IFN) therapy is effective in eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV). However, it carries the risk of adverse effects and reduced quality of life. To assess whether short-term IFN therapy effectively eliminates HCV, we performed a prospective pilot study of pegylated (peg)IFN-alpha-2a therapy for 8 or 24 weeks.


METHODS
After excluding patients with high titers of genotype-1, 55 HCV patients received pegIFN-alpha-2a. Patients who became negative for HCV-RNA at week 2 were allocated to either an 8-week (n = 19) or 24-week (n = 15) course of IFN. We evaluated the efficacy of and tolerance to IFN therapy.


RESULTS
The sustained virological response rate was excellent in the two groups (8 weeks, 89.5% [17/19]; 24 weeks, 100% [15/15], respectively,). IFN dose reduction was required in one patient of the 8-week group, but in six patients of the 24-week group (P = 0.028). Treatment was completed by all patients of the 8-week group, but discontinued in five patients of the 24-week group (P = 0.011).


CONCLUSIONS
The 8-week IFN therapy is more tolerable than the 24-week therapy and had similar outcomes. Excluding the patients with high titers of genotype-1, we recommend switching to an 8-week course of pegIFN-alpha monotherapy once patients show an ultra rapid virological response at week 2 from the start of IFN therapy.
Jeong
Soocheol
S
Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
Kawakami
Yoshiiku
Y
Kitamoto
Mikiya
M
Ishihara
Hiroto
H
Tsuji
Keiji
K
Aimitsu
Shiomi
S
Kawakami
Hiroiku
H
Uka
Kiminori
K
Takaki
Shintaro
S
Kodama
Hideaki
H
Waki
Koji
K
Imamura
Michio
M
Aikata
Hiroshi
H
Takahashi
Shoichi
S
Chayama
Kazuaki
K
D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013997:Time Factors
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D007372:Interferons; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a