title: Low dose erythropoietin-beta improves anemia and maintains ribavirin dose in chronic hepatitis C patients receiving combination therapy with ribavirin plus pegylated interferon Alfa-2b.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anemia during combination therapy with pegylated interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin (RBV) for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients usually leads to RBV dose reduction or discontinuation. This study evaluated the effect of erythropoietin-beta (EPO-beta) to maintain RBV dose and hemoglobin (Hb) level in chronic HCV patients treated with antiviral combination therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-eight chronic HCV patients who developed anemia during therapy were enrolled into this retrospective study: 55 in the EPO-beta group and 33 in the untreated group. The study endpoints were to assess the RBV maintenance and the changes in Hb.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A higher percentage of patients with RBV maintenance was observed in the EPO-beta group compared with the untreated group (nadir Hb level <10.5 g/dL; 70% vs. 38%, P = 0.020; nadir Hb < 10 g/dL; 62% vs. 27%, P = 0.046). The mean Hb change from week 12 to week 20 was higher in the EPO-beta group when compared with the untreated group, especially for patients receiving a total EPO-beta dose of more than 16 000 U (+0.70 g/dL vs. -0.32 g/dL, P = 0.023) and of 10 000 U-14 000 U (+0.60 g/dL vs. -0.32 g/dL, P = 0.023).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low-dose EPO-beta can maintain RBV dose and increase Hb levels in anemic chronic HCV patients receiving combination therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Buddhist Dalin Tzu Chi General Hospital.
authors.forename: Kuo-Chih
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Li-Hsuan
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chi-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ting-Tsung
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: An-Liang
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: I-Chin
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Pin-Nan
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Cheng