title: Combination therapy of peginterferon and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C patients with genotype 1b and low-virus load.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of combination therapy of peginterferon and ribavirin in patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1b and low virus load.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inclusion criteria were HCV-genotype 1b, serum HCV RNA level of < 100 KIU/mL at the initiation time of treatment. A total of 60 were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. The treatment period of combination therapy was 39.8+/-16.1 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 60 study patients, 47 had sustained virological response (SVR) by the intention to treat analysis. SVR occurred when serum HCV RNA was negative 8 weeks after the initiation of the treatment (p=0.004) and continuance of negative HCV RNA during treatment was > or = 30 week (p=0.016). In rapid virological response, all of seven patients with continuance of negative HCV RNA 20 to 29 weeks during treatment had SVR. In early virological response nine of 10 patients with continuance of negative HCV RNA of 30 to 39 week during treatment had SVR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The duration of combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C should be determined based on the time of attainment of negative HCV RNA in patients with genotype 1b and low-virus load.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatology, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo. es9y-ars@asahi-net.or.jp
authors.forename: Yasuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arase
authors.forename: Fumitaka
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akuta
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sezaki
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hosaka
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yatsuji
authors.forename: Miharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirakawa
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Hiromitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kumada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012189:Retrospective Studies; 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