High sustained virological response rate to combination therapy in genotype 1 patients with histologically mild hepatitis C.
BACKGROUND
Patients with mild hepatitis C have a significant risk of disease progression at medium- and long-term follow-up and should be considered for antiviral therapy.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the rate of sustained viral response (SVR) and predictive factors of SVR in HCV genotype 1 patients with mild hepatitis C (fibrosis stage F0/F1) treated with combination antiviral therapy.


METHODS
260 naïve patients were followed-up during 72 weeks in three referral hepatology centers between 2004 and 2006. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted.


RESULTS
Early virological response was 88.1% and SVR was 74.2%. In the univariate analysis, SVR was associated with young age (p=0.001), very low (< or = 400,000 IU/mL) baseline viremia (p=0.03) and high aminotransferase levels (p=0.04) and was not associated with gender, body mass index, inflammatory activity, steatosis, ribavirin and peginterferon dose changes, premature cessation of therapy. Multivariate analysis identified the following independent predictors of SVR: age <50 years (p=0.0009), viral load < or = 400,000 IU/mL (p=0.03) and aminotransferase level >2 times normal value (p=0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
Genotype 1 HCV patients with mild hepatitis have a high rate of SVR, similar to genotype non-1. Young age, very low viremia and significant hepatocytolisis are independent predictors of SVR in patients with mild hepatitis.
Gheorghe
Liana
L
Hepatology Department, Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest. drgheorghe@xnet.ro
Iacob
Speranta
S
Grigorescu
Mircea
M
Sporea
Ioan
I
Sirli
Roxana
R
Damian
Dana
D
Gheorghe
Cristian
C
Iacob
Razvan
R