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- Title
Eight-week oral administration of meloxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, prevents dose reduction of pegylated interferon α-2a in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
- Authors
Kagawa, Tatehiro; Shiozawa, Hirokazu; Kojima, Sei-ichiro; Takashimizu, Shinji; Nagata, Naruhiko; Numata, Makoto; Morino, Fumitoshi; Nishizaki, Yasuhiro; Mochizuki, Kaori; Watanabe, Norihito; Watanabe, Tetsu; Matsuzaki, Shohei; Mine, Tetsuya
- Abstract
Aim: We conducted a trial to evaluate whether eight-week oral administration of meloxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, would decrease the rate of the patients who required dose reduction of pegylated interferon α-2a in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Methods: Sixty patients given weekly subcutaneous administration of pegylated interferon α-2a at a dose of 180 μg for 48 weeks were allocated into the meloxicam group ( n = 22) and the control group ( n = 38) before interferon treatment. Meloxicam was given orally at a dose of 10 mg once a day for eight weeks from the start of interferon treatment. Results: The cumulative rate of dose-reduction-free patients was significantly higher in the meloxicam group ( P < 0.05). Until week eight, 44.7% of the control group and 9.1% of the meloxicam group required dose reduction. Dose was modified by neutropenia in 31.6% and 18.2% of the control and meloxicam groups, respectively. Meloxicam relieved a declineof neutrophil count within the first eight weeks from 54.2% to 44.2% ( P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that greater pretreatment neutrophil count and the use of meloxicam were independent factors associated with avoiding dose reduction. Sustained virological response was obtained in 52.6% of the patients. The multivariate logistic analysis revealed that viral serotype and viral load were the only independent factors associated with sustained virological response. Conclusion: Eight-week administration of meloxicam prevented dose reduction of pegylated interferon by relieving a decline of neutrophil count in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
- Subjects
NONSTEROIDAL anti-inflammatory agents; DRUG dosage; INTERFERONS; ANTINEOPLASTIC agents; HEPATITIS C
- Publication
Hepatology Research, 2008, Vol 38, Issue 3, p259
- ISSN
1386-6346
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1872-034X.2007.00260.x