title: Boceprevir for chronic HCV genotype 1 infection in treatment-experienced patients with severe fibrosis or cirrhosis: The Greek real-life experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of our study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of triple therapy using boceprevir (BOC) with pegylated interferon (pIFN)/ribavirin (RBV) in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) genotype 1 (G1) treatment-experienced patients with advanced fibrosis or compensated cirrhosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report the Greek experience on the first CHC patients who received BOC-based regimen. From September 2011 to June 2012, 26 treatment-experienced CHC patients and G1 with bridging fibrosis or compensated cirrhosis received 48 weeks of BOC+pIFN+RBV antiviral therapy. Data on complete blood counts and HCV RNA levels were obtained prior to therapy, at treatment weeks 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 24 weeks after the end of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A full set analysis was performed in 25 of 26 patients. Nine patients (36%) achieved sustained viral response (SVR). Ten patients (40%) stopped the therapy because of futility rules and 3 (12%) due to adverse events. Four patients (16%) developed a virological breakthrough (3 of those presented futility rules as well) and 2 (8%) relapse. All patients who achieved SVR had G 1b, 6 (67%) were non-cirrhotic and 5 (55%) had >1 log decline in baseline HCV RNA levels at week 4 of the treatment. There were no deaths, while two patients were hospitalized due to side effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The triple therapy with BOC+pIFN+RBV in this cohort of real-life treatment-experienced CHC G1 patients and advanced liver disease was safe offering cure in the majority of those who could tolerate and complete treatment under a close monitoring.
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital of Athens "Hippocratio" (Spilios Manolakopoulos, Hariklia Kranidioti, John Koskinas, George Kontos, Polyxeni Doumba).
authors.forename: Spilios
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manolakopoulos
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital of Athens "Hippocratio" (Spilios Manolakopoulos, Hariklia Kranidioti, John Koskinas, George Kontos, Polyxeni Doumba).
authors.forename: Hariklia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kranidioti
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital of Thessaloniki "Hippocratio" (John Goulis, Emmanuel Sinakos, Evangelos Akriviadis).
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goulis
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Gastroentrerology, Laiko General Hospital of Athens (John Vlachogiannakos, Irini Vafiadou, George Papatheodoridis).
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vlachogiannakos
authors.affiliation: University Department of Internal Medicine, General and Oncology Hospital "Agii Anargyri" (John Elefsiniotis, Eftychia Evangelidou).
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elefsiniotis
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Gastroenterology, University of Crete (Elias A. Kouroumalis, Mairi Koulentaki).
authors.forename: Elias A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Kouroumalis
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital of Athens "Hippocratio" (Spilios Manolakopoulos, Hariklia Kranidioti, John Koskinas, George Kontos, Polyxeni Doumba).
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koskinas
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital of Athens "Hippocratio" (Spilios Manolakopoulos, Hariklia Kranidioti, John Koskinas, George Kontos, Polyxeni Doumba).
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kontos
authors.affiliation: University Department of Internal Medicine, General and Oncology Hospital "Agii Anargyri" (John Elefsiniotis, Eftychia Evangelidou).
authors.forename: Eftychia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Evangelidou
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital of Athens "Hippocratio" (Spilios Manolakopoulos, Hariklia Kranidioti, John Koskinas, George Kontos, Polyxeni Doumba).
authors.forename: Polyxeni
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Doumba
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital of Thessaloniki "Hippocratio" (John Goulis, Emmanuel Sinakos, Evangelos Akriviadis).
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sinakos
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Gastroentrerology, Laiko General Hospital of Athens (John Vlachogiannakos, Irini Vafiadou, George Papatheodoridis).
authors.forename: Ιrini
authors.initials: Ι
authors.lastname: Vafiadou
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital of Athens "Hippocratio" (Spilios Manolakopoulos, Hariklia Kranidioti, John Koskinas, George Kontos, Polyxeni Doumba).
authors.forename: Mairi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koulentaki
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Gastroentrerology, Laiko General Hospital of Athens (John Vlachogiannakos, Irini Vafiadou, George Papatheodoridis).
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Papatheodoridis
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital of Thessaloniki "Hippocratio" (John Goulis, Emmanuel Sinakos, Evangelos Akriviadis).
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Akriviadis
keywords: HCV G1 infection; Protease inhibitors; boceprevir