title: Plasma ribavirin trough concentrations during treatment of chronic hepatitis C in genotype-1 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the correlation between virological response and plasma ribavirin trough concentrations (RBV Ctrough) during the full period of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicenter prospective cohort study. Total 119 patients with CHC genotype-1 were treated with peginterferon alfa-2a (pegIFN) and RBV for 48 weeks. RBV quantification was carried out at week 4 (W4), W8, W12, W16, W24, W32, and W40 of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean RBV Ctrough value during treatment was 2.5±0.9 mg/L in total patients. At no time point of treatment were patients with RBV Ctrough average correlated with early and sustained virological response (SVR), but those with RBV Ctrough ≥5 mg/L (95th percentile) at any time point (22/119, 18%) were correlated with SVR (P=0.02). Such high RBV Ctrough values were found from the second to the fourth months of treatment in 73% of these patients (16/22), and this was independently associated with SVR (odds ratio=3.6, 95% confidence interval:1.02-13.2, P=0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data do not support RBV plasma monitoring as a tool to optimize treatment in patients with CHC genotype-1, but show that a high RBV plasma concentration could improve SVR rates.
authors: Unidad de Ap. Digestivo H.U. San Cecilio de GranadaGranada, Spain. palomalancha@hotmail.com
authors: Paloma
authors: P
authors: Muñoz-de-Rueda
authors: Angeles
authors: A
authors: Ruiz-Extremera
authors: Jose M
authors: JM
authors: Candel
authors: Rosa
authors: R
authors: Quiles
authors: Ana Belen
authors: AB
authors: Martín
authors: Moises
authors: M
authors: Diago
authors: Raul
authors: R
authors: Andrade
authors: Jose M
authors: JM
authors: Navarro
authors: Ana
authors: A
authors: Gila
authors: Josefa
authors: J
authors: León
authors: Angel
authors: A
authors: Carazo
authors: Dolores
authors: D
authors: Quintero
authors: Javier
authors: J
authors: Salmerón
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a