Combination therapy of peginterferon and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C patients with genotype 1b and low-virus load.
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.
Arase
Yasuji
Y
Department of Hepatology, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo. es9y-ars@asahi-net.or.jp
Suzuki
Fumitaka
F
Akuta
Norio
N
Sezaki
Hitomi
H
Suzuki
Yoshiyuki
Y
Kawamura
Yusuke
Y
Kobayashi
Masahiro
M
Hosaka
Tetsuya
T
Yatsuji
Hiromi
H
Hirakawa
Miharu
M
Saito
Satoshi
S
Ikeda
Kenji
K
Kobayashi
Mariko
M
Kumada
Hiromitsu
H
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
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