title: The optimal dose of ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C: From literature evidence to clinical practice: The optimal dose of ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: Approximately 170 million people worldwide are chronically infected by hepatitis C virus (HCV), which can result in progressive hepatic injury and fibrosis, culminating in cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease. The benchmark therapy for untreated HCV patients is a combination of pegylated interferon-alpha (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV). Several studies have suggested several potential new approaches to improve HCV therapy-optimization of the dose and duration of RBV therapy, accompanied by careful clinical management, is crucial in ensuring the greatest likelihood of a long response to therapy. RBV causes serious side effects, but in clinical practice, there are no alternatives for the treatment of HCV infection. Based on our results, weight-based doses of RBV are advantageous for genotype 1-infected patients, but its success in genotype 2- and 3-infected patients is unknown, particularly for shorter treatment durations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University Magna Gracia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Ludovico
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Abenavoli
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazza
authors.forename: Piero L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Almasio
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