title: [Short-term curative effect of ribavirin combination therapy with pegylated interferon alfa-2a vs. interferon alfa-2a in patients with chronic hepatitis C].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To perform a retrospective cohort study in order to determine the differences in short-term curative effect of ribavirin in combination with interferon alfa (IFNa)-2a vs. pegylated (Peg)-IFNa-2a in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC).
  
  
  METHODS
  One-hundred-and-eighty-eight treatment of the CHC patients who were administered combination therapy of ribavirin with IFNa from 2010 to 2012. One-hundred-and-thirty-three of the patients received the therapy with IFNa-2a and the remaining 55 received Peg-IFNa-2a. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) load and levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured at treatment weeks 4, 12, 24, and 48. Adverse reactions were recorded. Differences between the groups were assessed by statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients in the Peg-IFNa-2a group and the IFNa-2a group showed no significant difference in sex distribution, age, smoking habits, or drinking habits at baseline (all P more than 0.05). Both antiviral therapies significantly reduced the HCV load and levels of ALT and AST (baseline levels vs. all treatment weeks examined, P less than 0.05); however, the reduction in the HCV load at week 4 was significantly more robust with the Peg-IFNa-2a therapy (2.96 ± 0.66) log10 IU/ ml vs. (3.47 ± 1.42)1og10 IU/ml; F =4.14, P=0.04). The Peg-IFNa-2a group also showed a significant higher rate of rapid virological response (RVR) than the IFNa-2a group (72.72% vs .57.14%; x²=4.37, P=0.04), but there were no statistically significant differences found between the two groups for early virological response rate (EVR), endpoint antiviral treatment virologic response rate (ETR), biochemical response rate, or rate of adverse reactions (all P more than 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ribavirin in combination with Peg-IFNa-2a produces a better RVR than in combination with IFNa-2a .Yet, the EVR, ETR, biochemical response rate, and rate of adverse reactions is similar for the two forms of IFNa-2a. Further studies are required to determine the potential superiority of Peg-IFNa-2a for a long-term curative effect.
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Weiyang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Hongyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhiqin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yanhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xiao-Gang
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yingying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shuhuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jiansheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a