Related Experiment Videos
Interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C patients who have not responded to interferon monotherapy
O Lo Iacono1, A Castro, M Diago
1Unidad de Hepatología, Hospital de la Princesa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
Background:
The role of combination therapy is poorly defined in chronic hepatitis C patients who are non-responders to interferon.
Aim:
To assess the efficacy, safety and tolerance of interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C patients who do not respond to interferon monotherapy.
Methods:
A total of 127 non-responder patients with chronic hepatitis C received 3 mU t.i.w. of interferon alfa-2b plus 1000-1200 mg ribavirin daily for 48 weeks. Effects of therapy were evaluated by serum aminotransferases and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA levels.
Results:
Twenty-nine (23%) patients had an end-of-treatment response. Six months after treatment, 20 (16%) patients were sustained responders. Early loss of HCV RNA was the strongest predictor of a sustained response (P < 0.0001). Remission was also more frequent in patients with genotype 1b (P < 0.02), elevated alanine aminotransferase (P < 0.03) and low gamma glutamiltranspeptidase (P < 0.002). Treatment was discontinued in 21 (17%) patients: in 14 for intolerance and in seven due to side-effects.
Conclusions:
Combination therapy with interferon plus ribavirin produced a sustained response in 16% of chronic hepatitis C patients who were non-responders to interferon. This combination was safe and well tolerated.