title: Response of Black African patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 4 to treatment with peg-interferon and ribavirin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare responses to therapy of Black African (BA) and non-Black African (non- BA) patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 4 (HCV-4) residing in Belgium.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective multicenter study, 473 patients with HCV-4 were selected from databases at 7 Belgian centers; 209 treatment-naive patients (154 BA) had received treatment with peg-interferon (peg-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) and were included in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a greater percentage of female patients in the BA group than in the non- BA group; BA patients were also older, had a greater body mass index, and more frequently had abnormal glucose metabolism. The route of contamination was more frequently unknown in BA than in non-BA patients and BA patients had more HCV-4 subtypes. There were no differences in other demographic factors between the groups. Sustained viral response (SVR) and complete early viral response rates were significantly lower and relapse rates significantly higher in BA than in non-BA patients. There were no differences between groups in rates of dose modification or in drug tolerance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our cohort, treatment-naive BA patients with HCV-4 who were treated with peg-IFN and ribavirin had a much lower SVR rate than treatment-naive non-BA patients with HCV-4 who were treated with peg-IFN and ribavirin, and a higher relapse rate, possibly related to a weaker response to interferon-based therapy. Treatment may need to be adapted in this population.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Hepato-gastroenterology, Saint-Pierre University Hospital, Brussels. marcelnkuize@hotmail.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nkuize
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Mulkay
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lasser
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Michielsen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Galocsy
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Assene
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delwaide
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000350:Africa, Central / Q000208:ethnology; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a