[Prediction of sustained viral response to combinational therapy with interferon and ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C by rapid viral response].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether the rapid viral response (RVR) to combinational therapy with interferon and rabavirin can be used to predict the sustained viral response (SVR) in chronic hepatitis C patients.


METHODS
According to their clinical characteristics, all patients in this study were given pegylated or conventional interferon injection and different dose of ribavirin according to their weight. Patients were injected Pegasys (pegierferon alpha-2a) 180 microg or 135 microg once a week, or pegyintron 50-80 microg once a week, or conventional interferon 3-5 MU every two days, in combination with a dose of 600-1500 mg/d ribavirin. The serum HCV RNA load was determined at 0, 4, 12 week, and then every 12 weeks. After the viral response obtained, the patients were treated for another 24-72 weeks and followed up 24 weeks. The main parameter to evaluate the efficacy was SVR rate. The influence factors associated with rapid viral response were investigated.


RESULTS
RVR was obtained at week 4 in 84.2% of the 120 patients. The HCV RNA baseline of RVR group was (5.883+/-1.246) lg copies/ml, which was significantly lower than that of the group without RVR [(6.502+/-0.693) lg copies/ml, t=2.15, P=0.034]. 97 patients with RVR who finished treatment and follow-up, 90.7% of these patients obtained SVR, but the SVR rate in patients (82.4%) without RVR was lower than that in patients with RVR (x2=0.371, P=0.543). In this study, RVR rate was not associated with HCV genotype and the dose of interferon used. In the naive patients, the RVR to pegylated interferon was 87.8%, which was significantly higher than that in retreat patients (x2=4.651, P=0.031).


CONCLUSIONS
High RVR rate could be obtained in chronic hepatitis C patients treated combined with interferon and ribavirin. RVR rate is associated with the HCV RNA baseline load in both naive and retreat patients but not correlated to HCV genotype. RVR could predict the SVR.
Li
Ming-hui
MH
Beijing Ditan Hospital, Beijing 100011, China.
Chen
Li-jun
LJ
Qiu
Guo-hua
GH
Lu
Yao
Y
Xie
Yao
Y
Xu
Dao-zhen
DZ
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012008:Recurrence; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult
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