title: Complete early virological response was highly achieved by double filtration plasmapheresis plus IFN-beta induction therapy for HCV-1b patients with relapse or no response after previous IFN therapy.
abstract: The efficacy of double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) plus interferon (IFN)-β induction therapy was preliminarily investigated in re-treated patients with chronic genotype 1b hepatitis C and high viral load (patients with relapse or non-response to previous IFN therapies). In eight patients with chronic hepatitis C, DFPP was performed five times over 2 weeks during IFN-β therapy, and 3 MU of IFN-β was administered twice a day for 2 weeks. Combination therapies with ribavirin and pegylated IFN-α2b (PEG-IFN-α2b) or pegylated IFN-α2a (PEG-IFN-α2a) were subsequently used. After 4 weeks, hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA tended to be more greatly decreased with DFPP combination therapy than with previous IFN therapy (4.5 ± 2.0 log(10) IU/mL vs. 2.9 ± 1.2 log(10) IU/mL). Rates of both rapid virological response and complete early virological response were significantly higher with DFPP and IFN-β induction therapy than with previous IFN therapy. DFPP plus IFN-β induction therapy produced a great reduction of viral load during the early stage of treatment and achieved a high early virological response, suggesting that this combination therapy may be useful as a new treatment modality for chronic hepatitis C patients in difficult-to-treat states. This combination may contribute to sustained virological response (SVR). The effects of DFPP on SVR and its significance remain to be clarified.
authors: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Saiseikai Niigata Daini Hospital, Niigata, Japan. toruishi@ngt.saiseikai.or.jp
authors: Toru
authors: T
authors: Ishikawa
authors: Kazuo
authors: K
authors: Higuchi
authors: Tomoyuki
authors: T
authors: Kubota
authors: Kei-ichi
authors: K
authors: Seki
authors: Terasu
authors: T
authors: Honma
authors: Toshiaki
authors: T
authors: Yoshida
authors: Tomoteru
authors: T
authors: Kamimura
authors: Kazuyuki
authors: K
authors: Tasaki
authors: Shintarou
authors: S
authors: Hirose
authors: Yasushi
authors: Y
authors: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005374:Filtration; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010956:Plasmapheresis / Q000379:methods*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a