title: IMPACT OF THE PEGYLATED-INTERFERON AND RIBAVIRIN THERAPY ON THE TREATMENT-RELATED MORTALITY OF PATIENTS WITH CIRRHOSIS DUE TO HEPATITIS C VIRUS.
abstract: Although the protease inhibitors have revolutionized the therapy of chronic hepatitis C (CHC), the concomitant use of pegylated-interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) is associated to a high rate of adverse effects. In this study, we evaluated the consequences of PEG-IFN and RBV and their relationship with mortality in patients with cirrhosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records of CHC who underwent treatment with PEG-IFN and RBV in a public hospital in Brazil were evaluated. All the patients with cirrhosis were selected, and their clinical and laboratory characteristics, response to treatment, side effects and mortality were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the 1,059 patients with CHC, 257 cirrhotic patients were evaluated. Of these, 45 (17.5%) achieved sustained viral response (SVR). Early discontinuation of therapy occurred in 105 (40.8%) patients, of which 39 (15.2%) were due to serious adverse effects. The mortality rate among the 257 cirrhotic patients was 4.3%, occurring in 06/242 (2.4%) of the Child-A, and in 05/15 (33.3%) of the Child-B patients. In conclusion, the treatment of patients with cirrhosis due to HCV with PEG-IFN and RBV shows a low SVR rate and a high mortality, especially in patients with liver dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brasil.
authors.forename: Kelly Fernanda Nomura
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Dresch
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brasil.
authors.forename: Angelo Alves de
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mattos
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brasil.
authors.forename: Cristiane Valle
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Tovo
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brasil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Quadros de
authors.initials: FQ
authors.lastname: Onofrio
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brasil.
authors.forename: Leandro
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Casagrande
authors.affiliation: Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Alberi Adolfo
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Feltrin
authors.affiliation: Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Iago Christofoli de
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.affiliation: Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Paulo Roberto Lerias de
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Almeida
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a