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- Title
Pegylated interferon alpha-2b (Peg-IFN α-2b) affects early virologic response dose-dependently in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 during treatment with Peg-IFN α-2b plus ribavirin.
- Authors
Oze, T.; Hiramatsu, N.; Yakushijin, T.; Kurokawa, M.; Igura, T.; Mochizuki, K.; Imanaka, K.; Yamada, A.; Oshita, M.; Hagiwara, H.; Mita, E.; Ito, T.; Inui, Y.; Hijioka, T.; Tamura, S.; Yoshihara, H.; Hayashi, E.; Inoue, A.; Imai, Y.; Kato, M.
- Abstract
Chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) genotype 1 patients who achieved early virologic response have a high probability of sustained virologic response (SVR) following pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) plus ribavirin therapy. This study was conducted to evaluate how reducing drug doses affects complete early virologic response (c-EVR) defined as hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA negativity at week 12. Nine hundred eighty-four patients with CH-C genotype 1 were enrolled. Drug doses were evaluated independently on a body weight base from doses actually taken. From multivariate analysis, the mean dose of Peg-IFN α-2b during the first 12 weeks was the independent factor for c-EVR ( P = 0.02), not ribavirin. The c-EVR rate was 55% in patients receiving ≥1.2 μg/kg/week of Peg-IFN, and declined to 38% at 0.9–1.2 μg/kg/week, and 22% in patients given <0.9 μg/kg/week ( P < 0.0001). Even with stratified analysis according to ribavirin dose, the dose-dependent effect of Peg-IFN on c-EVR was observed, and similar c-EVR rates were obtained if the dose categories of Peg-IFN were the same. Furthermore, the mean dose of Peg-IFN during the first 12 weeks affected HCV RNA negativity at week 24 ( P < 0.0001) and SVR ( P < 0.0001) in a dose-dependent manner. Our results suggest that Peg-IFN was dose-dependently correlated with c-EVR, independently of ribavirin dose. Thus, maintaining the Peg-IFN dose as high as possible during the first 12 weeks can yield HCV RNA negativity and higher c-EVR rates, leading to better SVR rates in patients with CH-C genotype 1.
- Subjects
HEPATITIS C treatment; INTERFERONS; RIBAVIRIN; VIRAL hepatitis; ANTINEOPLASTIC agents
- Publication
Journal of Viral Hepatitis, 2009, Vol 16, Issue 8, p578
- ISSN
1352-0504
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1365-2893.2009.01116.x