title: [The efficacy and prognostic predictors of different treatment courses with pegylated interferon α-2a and ribavirin combination in recurrent chronic hepatitis C patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the efficacy and outcome predictors of combined re-treatment with pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) α-2a and ribavirin in recurrent chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicenter, prospective, randomized trial was designed. A total of 125 recurrent CHC patients were recruited in 16 clinical centers and randomly assigned into two groups: one was Peg-IFNα-2a combined with ribavirin for 48 weeks (group A) and the other the same combination for 72 weeks (group B). HCV RNA levels in patients' serum were detected at baseline, week 4, 12, 24, 48, 72 (group B) after treatment initiation, and 24 weeks after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of all the 90 patients who completed treatment and 24 weeks follow-up, 80.0% achieved sustained virological response (SVR) yet 12.2% relapsed. There was no significant difference between two groups. The SVR rate in patients previously treated with interferon alone was higher than that in patients with interferon plus ribavirin (92.6% vs 74.6%), but the difference was of no statistical significance (P = 0.05). Moreover, patients previously treated with common interferon (c-IFN) showed a higher SVR rate than patients with Peg-IFN (84.7% vs 71.0%, P > 0.05). The positive predictive value (PV) of rapid virological response (RVR) and complete early virological response for SVR was 92.3% and 86.4% respectively, and the negative PV of RVR, early virological response and delayed virological response for SVR was 36.8%, 66.7% and 100.0% respectively. Overall, 62.1% patients reported adverse events (AEs) and 1.6% patients were severe AEs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high SVR rate has been achieved in recurrent CHC patients who were retreated with Peg-IFNα-2a and ribavirin for 48 weeks. Better SVR cannot be achieved in spite of a prolonged course of 72 weeks. Early virological response at week 12 was the most important predictor for SVR.
authors.forename: Huiying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Ruifeng
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.forename: Xiaoyuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xinyue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiaoguang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Dou
authors.forename: Yinong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Zhiliang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Guofeng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Junqi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Guozhong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Jinlin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Dazhi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Peking University People's Hospital, Peking University Hepatology Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Diseases, Beijing 100044, China; Email: weilai@pkuph.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Lai
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a