title: Long-term follow-up of chronic hepatitis C patients treated with interferon-alpha: risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in a single center over 10 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Interferon (IFN)-based therapy for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is cost-effective and is associated with reduced risk of disease progression. We aimed to assess the incidence of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to identify risk factors associated with disease progression.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed 280 CHC patients who were registered at our hospital between 2001 and 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 80% of patients received antiviral treatment. The 10-year cumulative incidence of cirrhosis was significantly lower among patients who received antiviral therapy than among those who did not (8.3 vs. 44.0%; p = 0.001). Among them, patients with sustained virological response (SVR) had a significantly lower incidence of cirrhosis than those without SVR (0.6 vs. 33.9%; p < 0.001). Cox proportional hazards regression showed that SVR was the significant independent factor for reducing the risk of cirrhosis (hazard ratio, HR = 0.03; p = 0.034). The 10-year cumulative incidence of HCC was higher among patients who did not receive antiviral therapy than among those who did (43.9 vs. 6.1%; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that underlying cirrhosis was the only independent risk factor associated with HCC development (HR = 7.70; p = 0.010).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SVR secondary to IFN-based therapy could reduce cirrhosis development in CHC patients. Underlying cirrhosis was the strongest predictor of HCC development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jong Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Yeon
authors.forename: Eileen L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Sang Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Keunhee
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Hae Rim
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seong Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Yang Jae
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Jihye
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Je
authors.forename: Ji Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yeon Seok
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Hyung Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.forename: Kwan Soo
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Byun
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha