title: Response to peginterferon-alfa 2b and ribavirin in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 2.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The current standard treatment for patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) of genotype 2 is the combination of peginterferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) for 24 weeks.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We assessed the sustained virological response (SVR) rates in HCV genotype 2-infected Japanese patients in relation to the duration of treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2006 and 2009, among 147 patients with HCV genotype 2-infection in Chiba Prefecture, 138 consecutive patients were finally enrolled. Twenty-one, 97 and 20 patients were treated with PEG-IFN-alfa 2b plus RBV for 16, 24 and 48 weeks, respectively. Epidemiological data and treatment outcomes were retrospectively evaluated. HCV RNA was measured with COBAS AMPLICOR HCV Monitor Test v. 2.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall SVR rate was 82.6% (114 of 138): treatment-naïve patients, 86.4% (89 of 103); patients with history of previous treatment, 71.4% (25 of 35). Patients treated for 16, 24 and 48 weeks obtained SVR rates of 66.6% (14 of 21), 86.5% (84 of 97) and 80.0 (16 of 20), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SVR rates of PEG-IFN-alfa 2b plus RBV in Japanese patients were similar to those in previous studies. Combination treatment for 24 weeks for some patients infected with HCV genotype 2 may be superior to that for 16 weeks. More precise patient selection will be needed to shorten the combination treatment.
authors: Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. kandat-cib@umin.ac.jp
authors: Tatsuo
authors: T
authors: Kanda
authors: Fumio
authors: F
authors: Imazeki
authors: Ryosaku
authors: R
authors: Azemoto
authors: Yutaka
authors: Y
authors: Yonemitsu
authors: Shigeru
authors: S
authors: Mikami
authors: Kazuhiko
authors: K
authors: Kita
authors: Motohide
authors: M
authors: Takashi
authors: Masahiko
authors: M
authors: Sunaga
authors: Shuang
authors: S
authors: Wu
authors: Shingo
authors: S
authors: Nakamoto
authors: Akinobu
authors: A
authors: Tawada
authors: Makoto
authors: M
authors: Arai
authors: Keizo
authors: K
authors: Kato
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Yoshida
authors: Yoshihiro
authors: Y
authors: Koma
authors: Keiichi
authors: K
authors: Fujiwara
authors: Kenichi
authors: K
authors: Fukai
authors: Noriaki
authors: N
authors: Suzuki
authors: Osamu
authors: O
authors: Yokosuka
references: J Viral Hepat. 2011 Apr;18(4):245-51
references: 20384961
references: N Engl J Med. 2004 May 27;350(22):2265-71
references: 15163776
references: Hepatol Int. 2010 Aug 19;4(3):548-61
references: 21063477
references: J Hepatol. 2011 Sep;55(3):554-563
references: 21237227
references: Intervirology. 2004;47(6):328-34
references: 15564744
references: Hepatology. 2002 Nov;36(5 Suppl 1):S121-7
references: 12407585
references: Hepatology. 2010 Jun;51(6):1897-903
references: 20196118
references: Hepatology. 2009 Feb;49(2):358-63
references: 19072829
references: N Engl J Med. 2002 Sep 26;347(13):975-82
references: 12324553
references: Gastroenterology. 2002 Oct;123(4):1061-9
references: 12360468
references: Nat Genet. 2009 Oct;41(10):1105-9
references: 19749757
references: J Gen Virol. 1992 Mar;73 ( Pt 3):673-9
references: 1312125
references: Gastroenterology. 2006 Aug;131(2):470-7
references: 16890601
references: N Engl J Med. 2007 Jul 12;357(2):124-34
references: 17625124
references: Scand J Infect Dis. 2009;41(6-7):389-402
references: 20001276
references: Liver Int. 2011 Jan;31 Suppl 1:36-44
references: 21205136
references: J Gen Virol. 1993 Apr;74 ( Pt 4):661-8
references: 8385694
references: Clin Infect Dis. 2010 Feb 15;50(4):e22-5
references: 20088695
references: Hepatology. 2011 Jan;53(1):7-13
references: 21254157
references: Hepatology. 2008 Jun;47(6):1837-45
references: 18454508
references: Hepatology. 1994 Jun;19(6):1347-53
references: 7514558
references: J Viral Hepat. 2011 Jul;18(7):e292-7
references: 21129130
references: Hepatology. 2008 Jan;47(1):35-42
references: 17975791
references: Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2003 Apr;55(4):360-7
references: 12680884
references: Semin Liver Dis. 1999;19 Suppl 1:57-65
references: 10349693