Sustained negativity for HCV-RNA over 24 or more months by long-term interferon therapy correlates with eradication of HCV in patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1b and high viral load

OBJECTIVE: We assessed whether sustained negativity for HCV-RNA over 24 or more months by long-term interferon (IFN) therapy correlates with eradication of HCV in patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1b and high viral load or not. METHODS: The number of patients with HCV-genotype 1b and high viral load exceeding 1 Meq/ml who received 6 MU of natural IFN-alpha daily for 2-8 weeks, followed by three times/week for 16-22 weeks and negativity for HCV-RNA during IFN administration was 403. Forty-one of 403 patients received 6 MU of natural IFN-alpha three times/week for more than 18 months after the initial IFN therapy (long-term-IFN-group). Three hundred and two patients did not receive any IFN treatment for 6 months after the termination of the 6-month course (6-month-IFN-group). Sustained virological response (SVR) was defined as negative HCV-RNA at both 3 and 6 months after the completion of IFN therapy. RESULTS: SVR was noted in 73.2% (30/41) of long-term-IFN-group and 18.2% (55/302) of 6-month-IFN-group. Multivariate analysis showed that long-term IFN therapy was the most significant contributor to SVR (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Sustained negativity of HCV-RNA for 24 or more months by long-term IFN therapy correlated with SVR in patients with genotype 1b and high viral load.