title: Pegylated interferon plus ribavirin for genotype Ib chronic hepatitis C in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of pegylated interferon alpha-2b (peg-IFN alpha-2b) plus ribavirin (RBV) therapy in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) genotype Ib and a high viral load.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and twenty CHC patients (58.3% male) who received peg-IFN alpha-2b plus RBV therapy for 48 wk were enrolled. Sustained virological response (SVR) and clinical parameters were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred (83.3%) of 120 patients completed 48 wk of treatment. 53 patients (44.3%) achieved SVR. Early virological response (EVR) and end of treatment response (ETR) rates were 50% and 73.3%, respectively. The clinical parameters (SVR vs non-SVR) associated with SVR, ALT (108.4 IU/L vs 74.5 IU/L, P = 0.063), EVR (76.4% vs 16.4%, P < 0.0001), adherence to peg-IFN (>or= 80% of planned dose) at week 12 (48.1% vs 13.6%, P = 0.00036), adherence to peg-IFN at week 48 (54.7% vs 16.2%, P < 0.0001) and adherence to RBV at week 48 (56.1% vs 32.1%, P = 0.0102) were determined using univariate analysis, and EVR and adherence to peg-IFN at week 48 were determined using multivariate analysis. In the older patient group (> 56 years), SVR in females was significantly lower than that in males (17% vs 50%, P = 0.0262). EVR and adherence to Peg-IFN were demonstrated to be the main factors associated with SVR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Peg-IFN alpha-2b plus RBV combination therapy demonstrated good tolerability in Japanese patients with CHC and resulted in a SVR rate of 44.3%. Treatment of elderly female patients is still challenging and maintenance of adherence to peg-IFN alpha-2b is important in improving the SVR rate.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University Hospital, 1-1, Seiryo, Aobaku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kogure
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: Futoshi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nagasaki
authors.forename: Yasuteru
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kakazu
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Hiroyoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Onodera
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Hiromasa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Takehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akahane
authors.forename: Tomoo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mano
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: Motoyasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Tooru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimosegawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; 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; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b