title: Swiss multicenter study evaluating the efficacy, feasibility and safety of peginterferon-alfa-2a and ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C in official opiate substitution programs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Though patients in opiate substitution programs are commonly infected with HCV, due to safety and efficacy concerns, they are rarely treated with interferon and ribavirin.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a multicenter study, HCV-infected patients in opiate maintenance treatment programs received 180 microg pegylated interferon-alfa-2a once weekly, plus daily ribavirin for 24 weeks (genotypes 2, 3), or 48 weeks (genotypes 1, 4).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 67 patients enrolled, 31 (46%) had HCV genotypes 1 or 4, and 36 (54%) had genotypes 2 or 3. Intent-to-treat analysis showed end-of-treatment virologic response in 75% of patients (81% of genotypes 2 or 3; 65% of genotypes 1 or 4), and a sustained virologic response in 61% of patients (72% of genotypes 2 or 3; 48% of genotypes 1 or 4). Fifteen patients (22%) did not complete the study, in 5 (8%) cases because of severe adverse events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Drug users with chronic HCV infection, regularly attending an opiate maintenance program in which close collaboration between hepatologists/internists and addiction specialists is assured, can be treated effectively and safely with pegylated interferon-alfa-2a and ribavirin. Treatment results are very similar to those in other patient groups, and thus therapy should also be considered for this population.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Private Practice, Basel, Switzerland. rfried@hin.ch
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fried
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monnat
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seidenberg
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oppliger
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Herold
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isler
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Broers
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kölliker
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schönbucher
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frei
authors.forename: Milo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D055030:Drug Users; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; 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