title: Pegylated interferon plus ribavirin combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C with high viral load of serum hepatitis C virus RNA, genotype 1b, discontinued on attaining sustained virological response at week 16 after onset of acute pancreatitis.
abstract: Recent clinical trials have shown that pegylated interferon-alpha (PEG-IFN-alpha) in combination with ribavirin (RBV) improves the rate of sustained virological response (SVR), with over 50% of patients demonstrating a positive response to treatment. However, no SVR has been reported when PEG-IFN/RBV combination therapy is discontinued by week 16, especially in cases of chronic hepatitis with a high viral load of serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA, genotype 1b. Here, we describe SVR in a 67-year-old woman whose PEG-IFN/RBV combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C with a high viral load of serum HCV RNA, genotype 1b, was discontinued after 16 weeks because of the onset of PEG-IFN plus RBV-induced acute pancreatitis. Among viral factors, substitution of amino acid 70 (Arg) and 91 (Leu) in the core region and HCV RNA negativity were observed after 8 weeks. Host factors including low body weight, no alcohol consumption, no coinfection with hepatitis B virus, slight fibrosis, and viral factors including early viral clearance, double wild type in the core region, may have contributed to the SVR irrespective of the discontinuation of the combination therapy at week 16. Moreover, PEG-IFN plus RBV-induced acute pancreatitis might have been related to the SVR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Kobe Asahi Hospital, Nagata-ku, Kobe, Japan. asahi-hp@arion.ocn.ne.jp
authors.forename: Soo Ryang
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imoto
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mita
authors.forename: Miyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sasase
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muramatsu
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kitai
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Shamy
authors.forename: Hak
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hotta
authors.forename: Yoshitake
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; 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; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a