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Statin therapy improves response to interferon alfa and ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C: a systematic review and

Qianqian Zhu1, Na Li, Qunying Han

  • 1Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, Shaanxi, China.

Antiviral Research
|April 23, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Adding statins to interferon alfa (IFN-α) and ribavirin therapy significantly improves sustained virological response (SVR) and other virological outcomes in chronic hepatitis C patients. This combination therapy enhances treatment efficacy without increasing adverse events.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Virology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection treatment with interferon alfa (IFN-α) and ribavirin yields limited sustained virological response (SVR).
  • Exploring novel therapeutic strategies is crucial to improve SVR rates in chronic hepatitis C.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and meta-analyze the efficacy of statins as an add-on therapy to IFN-α and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C.
  • To evaluate the impact of statins on SVR, rapid virological response (RVR), and early virological response (EVR).

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature search conducted up to October 2012, identifying 1724 non-duplicated entries.
  • Inclusion of 5 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) meeting meta-analysis criteria.
  • Primary outcome: SVR; Secondary outcomes: RVR and EVR.

Main Results:

  • The addition of statins significantly increased SVR (OR=2.02), RVR (OR=3.51), and EVR (OR=1.89) compared to IFN-α and ribavirin alone.
  • SVR improvement was significant for HCV genotype 1 (OR=2.11).
  • No significant increase in adverse events or withdrawals was observed with statin addition.

Conclusions:

  • Adding statins to IFN-α and ribavirin therapy improves SVR, RVR, and EVR in chronic hepatitis C patients.
  • This adjuvant therapy is well-tolerated and may be considered for patients with HCV, including those with genotypes other than genotype 1.
  • Statins offer a potential therapeutic option for patients where protease inhibitors are contraindicated or not indicated.

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