title: Response to antiviral therapy in patients with genotype 3 chronic hepatitis C: fibrosis but not race encourages relapse.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We completed a retrospective analysis of patients with genotype 3 hepatitis C virus (HCV) undergoing therapy in four UK centres with large populations of patients from the Indian subcontinent.
  
  
  METHODS
  Notes on all patients treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin were reviewed and factors that influenced the response were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six hundred and four patients with genotype 3 HCV were studied, of whom 299 were Asians. Median age was 43 years, 65% were men and 24% had cirrhosis. Overall, 457 (76%) patients achieved sustained virological response (SVR). By multivariable analysis it was found that ethnicity was not associated with an impaired response but age, cirrhosis and diabetes were significantly associated with a reduced SVR, the likelihood of a response was reduced by 25% per 10-year increment in age, by 59% among individuals with cirrhosis and by 62% among individuals with diabetes mellitus. Most patients who did not achieve an SVR relapsed (15%) rather than failing to achieve an end of treatment response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The response to antiviral therapy in genotype 3 HCV is not affected by South Asian (vs. Caucasian) ethnicity, but age, cirrhosis and diabetes reduce the response. Treatment failure most often is due to relapse.
authors.affiliation: The Liver Unit, Blizard Institute for Cellular and Molecular Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Dania
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shoeb
authors.forename: Ian A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Freshwater
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mutimer
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Sulleman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moreea
authors.forename: Ruchit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sood
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marley
authors.forename: Caroline A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Sabin
authors.forename: Graham R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Foster
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a