title: Efficacy and safety of peginterferon alpha-2a/ribavirin in treatment-naive Cameroonian patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: Data were examined from a day-to-day clinical practice in Yaounde, Cameroon to evaluate the efficacy and safety of peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin in treatment-naive Cameroonian patients with chronic hepatitis C. Ninety adults with chronic hepatitis C (mean age, 53 +/- 8 years; 79% males; 37.8% genotype 1; 23.3% genotype 2; and 38.9% genotype 4) were given at least 12 weeks of combination therapy between February 2003 and August 2007. Of these, 54 completed the treatment and the 24-week follow up. Subsequently, 18 continued treatment and 18 (20%) discontinued the treatment, 6 (6.7%) due to adverse effects. An intention-to-treat analysis showed that 38 (52.8%) had an end-of-treatment virologic response and 34 (47.2%) had a sustained virologic response. Sustained virologic response were significantly higher among patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2 (83.4%) than in those with genotype 1 (31%) or genotype 4 (42.3%) (P < 0.05). Non HCV-2 genotype, pretreatment fibrosis score >2, HCV RNA level >8.0 x 10(5) IU/ml and a non-virologic response at 12 weeks of treatment were associated with poor sustained virologic response (P < 0.05). Thus, HCV can be treated in a Sub-Saharan African country. It indicates that Cameroonian HCV-1 and -4 patients have a poorer sustained virologic response than the published results for Western and Middle-East countries. Virus subtype may influence the treatment outcome, since there is a great genetic diversity within Cameroonian HCV-1 and -4 genotypes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Virologie, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, Yaounde, Cameroon. njouom@pasteur-yaounde.org
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Njouom
authors.forename: Michèle Tagni
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Sartre
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Timba
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nerrienet
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tchendjou
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pasquier
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rousset
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002163:Cameroon; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a