Peg-interferon Plus Ribavirin Combination Therapy in HCV Mono-infected and HCV/HIV Co-infected Patients in Iran

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a cause of major liver complications, particularly in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) and a fixed dose of ribavirin treatment among Iranian HCV mono-infected and HCV/HIV-co-infected patients. Methods: A total of 214 HCV mono-infected and HCV/HIV co-infected patients attending Liver Disease Center in Tehran were assigned to receive treatment with Peg-IFN-α2a or -α2b plus ribavirin for 24-48 weeks. Sustained virologic response (SVR) was used as the primary efficacy endpoint of Peg-IFN and ribavirin therapy. Results: Treatment with Peg-IFN and ribavirin has been associated with a considerably higher rate of SVR (24 weeks for HCV genotype 3 and 48 weeks for HCV/HIV co-infected and HCV genotype 1 patients). Overall, the clearance of HCV-RNA at the end of therapy occurred in 48.6% of patients. Adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation were seen in 14% of patients. Conclusion: This retrospective study revealed a relatively well-tolerated response in both HCV mono-infected and HCV/HIV coinfected patients during treatment with Peg-IFN and ribavirin. However, the recent revolutionized interferon-free therapies for chronic HCV infection should be taken into account for achieving a greater response and minimal adverse events.