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Side effects of the hepatitis C treatment at the ABC application center

Thamy Jay Garcia1, Paulo Henrique Schmidt Lara, Tauy Pereira Morimoto

  • 1Reference Center for Special Immunobiologicals (CRIE) of Hospital Estadual Mário Covas, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. thamyjay@gmail.com

Revista Da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992)
|October 24, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Hepatitis C treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin caused significant side effects in most patients. Pegylated interferon alpha-2b was linked to more fever and weight loss than alpha-2a.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Pharmacology
  • Clinical Medicine

Background:

  • Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major global health concern.
  • Pegylated interferon and ribavirin are standard treatments for chronic hepatitis C.
  • Understanding treatment-related side effects is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the side effect profiles of pegylated interferon and ribavirin in hepatitis C patients.
  • To evaluate the prevalence and types of adverse events associated with this treatment regimen.
  • To identify differences in side effects between pegylated interferon alpha-2b and alpha-2a.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study was conducted at Hospital Mário Covas, Brazil.
  • A questionnaire was administered to 340 patients receiving at least one dose of medication.
  • Data on reported side effects were collected and analyzed.

Main Results:

  • A high incidence of side effects was observed, with only 1.2% of patients reporting none.
  • Common side effects included fatigue (82.9%), arthralgia/myalgia (76.8%), and weight loss (71.8%).
  • Pegylated interferon alpha-2b was associated with a higher average number of symptoms (8.01) compared to alpha-2a (7.50), with statistically significant differences in fever and weight loss.

Conclusions:

  • Hepatitis C treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin is associated with substantial morbidity.
  • Pegylated interferon alpha-2b demonstrated a higher prevalence of fever and weight loss compared to alpha-2a.
  • Close monitoring for adverse events is essential during hepatitis C treatment.
Abstract

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