title: Factors associated with treatment interruption for Hepatitis C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate risk factors related to Hepatitis C treatment interruption.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort of patients seen at the Hepatology outpatient service at Hospital dos Servidores do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, from 2001 to 2009. The factors investigated were: age, gender, genotype, degree of liver fibrosis, type of treatment, treatment time in weeks, diabetes mellitus, and systemic hypertension. Survival curves and bivariate and multivariate Cox regression models were used in the analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The risk of treatment interruption is six times greater in patients with more advanced degrees of liver fibrosis (F4) compared to those with less advanced degree (F2) in the period from 0 to 24 weeks of treatment. Genotype was found to be an important factor to explain therapy cessation after 24 weeks of treatment - the risk of stopping treatment was 2.5 times higher in patients with genotype 3 than in those with genotype 1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Degree of liver fibrosis and genotype proved to be the main risk factors associated to treatment interruption.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Universidade Estácio de Sá, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana Oliveira de Rezende
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Universidade Estácio de Sá, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Denise Leite Maia
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.affiliation: Researcher, National School of Public Health/Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nádia Cristina Pinheiro
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001938:Brazil; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012254:Ribavirin