title: Ribavirin dose and treatment outcome of Korean patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current recommendation of ribavirin dose for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C is based on study results of Western patients, and might not be optimal for Korean patients because of different body frames.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 163 treatment-naive genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C patients who received combination therapy with pegylated interferon a-2a and ribavirin were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Under current ribavirin dosing, only 49% of patients started therapy with ribavirin dose of 13-15mg/kg (targeted dose), while 45% and 6% of patients started therapy with ribavirin dose =16mg/kg and <13mg/kg, respectively. Patients who started therapy with higher ribavirin dose experienced more ribavirin dose modification during treatment (55%, 31% and 11% for ribavirin dose of =16mg/kg, 13-15mg/kg and <13mg/kg, respectively, p=0.002). The sustained virological response (SVR) rate was 66%, 63% and 56% for ribavirin dose of =16mg/kg, 13-15mg/kg and <13mg/kg, respectively (p=0.775).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A certain proportion of Korean patients started therapy with a higher than targeted ribavirin dose, which resulted in more ribavirin dose modifications without definite additional benefit in achieving SVR. Therefore, the ribavirin dosing regimen might need to be reassessed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Sinn
authors.forename: Jeong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Su Rin
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Geum-Youn
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Gwak
authors.forename: Moon Seok
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Joon Hyeok
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kwang Cheol
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Byung Chul
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Seung Woon
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Paik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D044466:Asian People; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012372:ROC Curve; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a