[Therapy of hepatitis C: individualized approach to treatment]

Area of Science:

• Hepatology and Viral Gastroenterology
• Infectious Diseases and Virology

Background:

• Approximately 70% of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infections do not resolve spontaneously, progressing to chronic hepatitis C.
• Chronic HCV can lead to severe liver conditions, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
• Cofactors and comorbidities negatively impact HCV clinical manifestations and treatment outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate strategies for optimizing combination therapy for HCV infection.
• To evaluate the impact of dose modification and treatment duration on sustained virological response (SVR).
• To explore tailoring therapy duration based on HCV kinetics for improved outcomes in genotype 1 HCV patients.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing studies on HCV treatment strategies.
• Analysis of dose modification for pegylated interferon-alpha2 (PEG-IFN) and ribavirine (RBV).
• Examination of variations in treatment duration and their effect on SVR.

Main Results:

• Cofactors and comorbidities often reduce the likelihood of achieving SVR with standard PEG-IFN and RBV therapy.
• Dose modification and adjusted treatment durations are key strategies for optimizing HCV therapy.
• Tailoring PEG-IFN/RBV therapy duration to HCV kinetics shows promise for better results.

Conclusions:

• Standard HCV treatment regimens are challenged by cofactors and comorbidities, impacting SVR rates.
• Optimizing PEG-IFN/RBV therapy through dose adjustments and duration tailoring is crucial.
• Personalizing treatment duration based on viral kinetics is a valuable approach to enhance HCV treatment efficacy.