title: [Efficacy of peginterferon alpha-2a in combination with ribavirin in treatment of eldly patients with chronic hepatitis C].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the clinical efficacy of PEG-Interferon alpha-2a combined with ribavirin in eldly chronic hepatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients with chronic hepatitis C were divided into treatment group and comparative group. The twenty eldly patients of treatment group receive peg-interferon alpha-2a 135-180 microg subcutaneous injection every week combined with ribavirin 600-1000 mg/d for 48 weeks, and twenty adult patients of control group receive peg-interferon 135-180 microg subcutaneous injection every week combined with ribavirin 800-1200 mg/d for 48 weeks. The rapid virological response (RVR) rate, early virological response (EVR) rate, end of treatment virological response (ETVR) rate, sustained virological response (SVR) rate, nonresponder rate, relapse rate and the side reaction was assessed, then to compare the differences between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The RVR rate, EVR rate, ETVR rate, SVR rate, nonresponder rate, relapse rate was 60%, 70%, 75%, 60%, 10%, 10% respectively, accordingly the rate in control group was 75%, 80%, 85%, 75%, 5%, 10%. The difference between the two group were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Compared with the control group, the rate of neutropenia was higher in treatment group (P < 0.05). There was no difference between the two groups in influenza-like side effect, anemia, thrombocytopenia and gastrointestinal side reaction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The eldly patients with Chronic Hepatitis C using general dose peg-IFNalpha-2a combined with lower dose ribavirin can still obtain the similar efficiency and excellent tolerance when the basic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and side effects were treated successfully.
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Diseases, Henan Provinicial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450003, China. yuj123@126.com
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Bo-wei
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chang-he
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Jia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a