Efficacy and tolerability of pegylated interferon-alpha2a plus ribavirin versus pegylated interferon-alpha2b plus ribavirin in treatment-naive chronic hepatitis C patients.
OBJECTIVE
The authors compared the efficacies and tolerabilities of pegylated interferon-alpha2a (PEG-IFN-alpha2a) + ribavirin and pegylated interferon-alpha2b (PEG-IFN-alpha2b) + ribavirin for the initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C.


METHODS
A total of 126 treatment-naive patients (29.4% genotype 1, 70.6% genotype non-1) were treated with PEG-IFN-alpha2a 180 microg/week (group A, n = 79) or PEG-IFN-alpha2b 1.5 microg/kg/week (group B, n = 47) with ribavirin (800 mg/day for genotype non-1 or 1,000-1,200 mg/day for genotype 1) for 24 (genotype non-1) or 48 weeks (genotype 1).


RESULTS
End-of-treatment virologic response, sustained virologic response, and biochemical response were not significantly different in groups A and B (84.8 vs. 89.4%, 70.9 vs. 72.3%, and 70.9 vs. 74.5%, respectively; p > 0.05). In patients with the HCV genotype 1 or non-1, treatment responses were not significantly different. Multivariate analysis showed that HCV genotype only was an independent factor that affected sustained virologic response (p = 0.048). The proportions of treatment discontinuations in groups A and B were similar (10.1 vs. 10.6%; p = 1.000).


CONCLUSIONS
PEG-IFN-alpha2a or PEG-IFN-alpha2b + ribavirin combination therapies showed similar efficacies and tolerabilities as initial treatments for chronic hepatitis C.
Lee
Seok
S
Department of Internal Medicine, Research Institute for Medical Science, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju , South Korea.
Kim
In Hee
IH
Kim
Seong Hun
SH
Kim
Sang Wook
SW
Lee
Seung Ok
SO
Lee
Soo Teik
ST
Kim
Dae Ghon
DG
Lee
Chang Seop
CS
Choi
Chang Soo
CS
Cho
Eun Young
EY
Kim
Haak Cheoul
HC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; 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; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a