title: Long-term outcome of chronic hepatitis C patients with sustained virological response to peginterferon plus ribavirin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the clinical, biochemical and virological long-term outcome in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients with a sustained virological response (SVR) after peginterferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin combination therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and fifty three patients with a SVR after treatment with PEG-IFN plus ribavirin were included in a 5-year follow-up study in a single Spanish center, based on standard clinical practice. Clinical anamnesis, biochemical analysis, hepatitis C virus RNA and alpha-fetoprotein measurement, ultrasonography and transient elastography were performed annually.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean follow-up period of the 153 patients was 76 ± 13 mo after they obtained a SVR. Five patients (3.26%) presented with cirrhosis before treatment and 116 (75.8%) had genotype 1. No patient showed evidence of hepatic decompensation. One patient (0.65%) developed a hepatocellular carcinoma at month 30 after achieving SVR. There were no virological relapses during this follow-up period. Persistently elevated alanine aminotransferase was found in only one patient (0.65%). At the end of the 5-year follow-up, the mean value of transient elastography was 7 ± 4.3 kPa (F1). There were no deaths and no other tumors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The long-term outcome of 153 CHC patients with SVR to PEG-IFN plus ribavirin was good. No evidence of a virological relapse was seen. One patient (0.65%) developed a hepatocellular carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology-Hepatology Department, University Hospital La Princesa and Princesa Research Institute, Autonomous University of Madrid and CIBERehd, C/Diego de León 62, Madrid, Spain. mtraperomarugan@hotmail.com
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trapero-Marugán
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mendoza
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chaparro
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: González-Moreno
authors.forename: José Andrés
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Moreno-Monteagudo
authors.forename: María Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Borque
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moreno-Otero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000473:pathology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin