title: Sustained virological response to pegylated interferon and ribavirin in patients with genotype 3 HCV cirrhosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) virus infection in patients with cirrhosis is difficult to treat. There is limited data on the outcome of treatment for genotype 3 HCV infection with cirrhosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine sustained virological response (SVR) and its predictive factors in patients with cirrhosis due to genotype 3 HCV infection treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin (RBV).
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients with compensated cirrhosis due to HCV genotype 3 with positive HCV RNA treated with peg-IFN and RBV in our Gastroenterology Clinics during November 2005 to December 2006 were included in this study. Cirrhosis was diagnosed on the basis of liver biopsy and/or biochemical testing and ultrasound of abdomen. Primary end point of treatment was SVR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 66 patients, 32 (48.5%) were male. The mean age was 46.2 +/- 10.1 years; there were 61 (92.4%) patients with Child's A cirrhosis followed by 5 (7.6%) with Child's B type. 33 (50%) patients received pegylated interferon alfa-2a (180 microg/wk) with ribavirin and 33 (50%) received pegylated interferon alfa 2b (1 microg/kg/week) with ribavirin. EVR was achieved in 44 (66.7%), and ETR in 46 (69.7%); overall SVR was achieved in 38 (57.6%) patients. Factors predictive of SVR were age (p value = 0.03), treatment naïve status (p value = 0.04) and EVR (p value < 0.001). Five patients were unable to complete the treatment due to side effects or cytopenias.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment of patients with HCV genotype 3, compensated cirrhosis, with pegylated interferon and ribavirin is effective and well tolerated.
authors.affiliation: Section of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Amna Subhan
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Butt
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mumtaz
authors.forename: Irum
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aqeel
authors.forename: Hasnain A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Saeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamid
authors.forename: Wasim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jafri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a