title: Combination therapy with interferon and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C infection in beta-thalassaemia major.
abstract: Treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in transfusion-dependent beta-thalassaemia major patients is complicated by existing hepatic siderosis and the fear of ribavirin-associated haemolysis. We evaluated the efficacy and side-effects of combination interferon-alpha (INF) and ribavirin therapy for HCV-infected thalassaemia patients. A total of 17 patients were enrolled (10 nonresponders to INF monotherapy, 7 naive to treatment, mean age 23.1 years) and they received 12 months of combination therapy. The sustained virological response rate 6 months after treatment was 58.8%. Blood transfusion requirements during treatment temporarily increased by 36.6%. Combination therapy was tolerated by, and may be useful for, HCV-infected thalassaemia major patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Infectious DiseasesMazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Islamic Republic of Iran. saffar@softhome.net
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Saffar
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saffar
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Khalilian
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Naqshvar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006486:Hemosiderosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007370:Interferon Type I; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin; D005293:Ferritins; D000410:Alanine Transaminase