title: Impact of early viral kinetics on pegylated interferon alpha 2b plus ribavirin therapy in Japanese patients with genotype 2 chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: The recommended therapy for genotype-2 chronic hepatitis C is a regimen of pegylated interferon alpha (peginterferon) plus ribavirin. This study was conducted to determine the value of early viral kinetics as a predictive factor for sustained virologic responder (SVR). Peginterferon alpha 2b (1.5 microg/kg/week) plus weight-based ribavirin (600-1000 mg/day) was administered to 51 patients with chronic HCV genotype 2 for 24 weeks. The HCV-RNA loads were measured at the baseline, hour 24, and week 1. The rebound index (RI, an index obtained from the viral load of week 1 divided by that of hour 24) was calculated. Compared with the baseline, the viral load at hour 24 for SVR was reduced by more than 1-log: it continued to decline thereafter, and at week 1 it was significantly lower than at hour 24 (P < 0.05). The viral load for non-SVR increased again between hour 24 and week 1. The SVR of patients with RI <or=1.0 was 100% (39/39). The SVR conversion for rapid virologic responders was 92% (35/38). The RI (<or=1.0) was the only significant independent factor for SVR by multiple logistic regression analysis and is the first predictive factor in 24-week peginterferon plus ribavirin therapy for patients infected with genotype 2.
authors.affiliation: The Center for Liver Diseases, Shin-Kokura Hospital, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan. h-nomura@shin-kokura.gr.jp
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyagi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanimoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage / 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