title: Efficacy of reduction therapy of natural human β-interferon and ribavirin in elderly patients with chronic hepatitis C, genotype 2 and high virus load.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of natural human interferon (IFN)-β and ribavirin in elderly patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2 and high virus load.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inclusion criteria were age of 65 years or older, HCV genotype 2 and serum HCV RNA level of 5.0 logIU/mL or more. A total of 33 were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. IFN-β was administrated i.v. at a dose of 6 million units daily for 4 weeks initially, followed by three times a week for 20 weeks. Ribavirin was given daily for 24 weeks at the dose described based on bodyweight. Fifteen patients were given a standard dose of ribavirin (standard group). Eighteen patients were given a reduction dose of ribavirin that decreased by one tablet per day compared to the standard group (reduction group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 33 study patients, no patient stopped the treatment due to treatment-related adverse events. The dose of IFN-β was reduced in three patients: Two patients belonged to the standard group and one patient belonged to the reduction group. The dose of ribavirin was reduced in 11 patients during combination therapy: nine patients belonged to the standard group and two patients belonged to the reduction group. The sustained virological response (SVR) was 72.2% (13/18) in the reduction group and 80.0% (12/15) in the standard group. There was no significant difference in SVR rate between the reduction and standard groups (P = 0.699).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reduction therapy of IFN-β and ribavirin in elderly chronic hepatitis C patients with genotype 2 and high virus load is one selection of treatment.
authors: Department of Hepatology and Okinaka Memorial Institute for Medical Research             Hepatic Research Unit, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Yasuji
authors: Y
authors: Arase
authors: Yoshiyuki
authors: Y
authors: Suzuki
authors: Fumitaka
authors: F
authors: Suzuki
authors: Norio
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authors: Akuta
authors: Hitomi
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authors: Sezaki
authors: Yusuke
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authors: Kawamura
authors: Masahiro
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authors: Kobayashi
authors: Norihiro
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authors: Imai
authors: Yuya
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authors: Seko
authors: Tetsuya
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authors: Hosaka
authors: Naoki
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authors: Matsumoto
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authors: Saito
authors: Kenji
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authors: Ikeda
authors: Mariko
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authors: Kobayashi
authors: Hiromitsu
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authors: Kumada