title: Long-term cohort study of chronic hepatitis C according to interferon efficacy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the prognosis of patients with C-viral chronic liver disease (C-CLD) according to the efficacy of interferon (IFN) therapy in a long-term retrospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 721 patients with C-CLD who underwent liver biopsy between January 1986 and December 2005, 577 were treated with IFN, and 221 of these patients achieved sustained virological response (SVR) with a follow-up period of 9.9 ± 5.3 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The annual rate of HCC development was 2.71%/year, 2.31%/year, and 0.24%/year in untreated, non-SVR, and SVR patients, respectively. Multivariate Cox proportional regression analysis showed that the risk of HCC development was significantly lower in SVR patients than in untreated or non-SVR patients; moreover, this risk was similar in non-SVR patients and untreated patients. The annual mortality rate in overall death was 3.19%/year, 1.98%/year, and 0.44%/year in untreated, non-SVR, and SVR patients, respectively. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that the SVR status reduced the risk ratio for overall death to 0.173, whereas the non-SVR status did not significantly reduce the risk ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The risk ratio of overall death and HCC development was significantly reduced in SVR patients, whereas no significant reduction was found in non-SVR patients in a long-term cohort study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maruoka
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Imazeki
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanda
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yokosuka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D002423:Cause of Death; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007564:Japan; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons