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Association between the treatment length and cumulative dose of pegylated interferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin and their effectiveness as a combination treatment for Japanese chronic hepatitis C patients: Project of the Kyushu University Liver Disease Study Group |
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| Authors: | Norihiro Furusyo Eiji Kajiwara Kazuhiro Takahashi Hideyuki Nomura Yuichi Tanabe Akihide Masumoto Toshihiro Maruyama Makoto Nakamuta Munechika Enjoji Koichi Azuma Junya Shimono Hironori Sakai Shinji Shimoda Jun Hayashi for the Kyushu University Liver Disease Study Group |
| Affiliation: | Department of General Medicine, Kyushu University Hospital,;Department of Medicine, Hamanomachi Hospital,;Department of Medicine, Fukuoka City Hospital,;Departments of Gastroenterology, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, Departments of;Medicine and Bioregulatory Science,;Medicine and Clinical Science and;Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka,;Department of Internal Medicine, Nippon Steel Yawata Memorial Hospital,;The Center for Liver Diseases, Shin-Kokura Hospital,;Department of Clinical Research, National Hospital Organization Kokura Hospital,;Department of Medicine, Kitakyushu Municipal Medical Center,;Departments of Medicine, Yahata Saiseikai Hospital, Kitakyushu, and;Department of Gastroenterology, National Hospital Organization Beppu Medical Center, Beppu, Japan |
| Abstract: | Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between the length of the treatment period and the cumulative dose of pegylated interferon alpha-2b (peg-IFN alpha-2b) plus ribavirin (RBV) and their effectiveness in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Methods: Seven hundred and fifteen patients received peg-IFN alpha-2b plus RBV treatment for 48 weeks and 24 weeks for genotypes 1 ( n = 586) and 2 ( n = 129), respectively. Results: Sustained virological responses (SVR), defined as serum hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA undetectable at 24 weeks after the end of treatment, were 42.4% and 74.4% in genotypes 1 and 2, respectively, on an intention-to-treat analysis. SVR significantly increased with treatment length (4.7%, 36.4%, and 51.8% for < 24 weeks, 24–47 weeks, and 48 weeks, respectively, for genotype 1; and 28.6%, 57.1%, 78.3% for < 12 weeks, 12–23 weeks, and 24 weeks, respectively, for genotype 2). SVR significantly increased with total cumulative treatment dose (21.1%, 36.5%, and 52.9% with < 60%, 60–79%, and ≥ 80% in peg-IFN dose; 29.6%, 51.1%, and 59.2% with < 60%, 60–79%, and ≥ 80% in RBV dose) in genotype 1, although it did not differ significantly for genotype 2. Conclusions: In peg-IFN alpha-2b plus RBV treatment for chronic hepatitis C, it is important to complete the target length of treatment and to continue the target dosage to achieve SVR, especially for genotype 1 patients. |
| Keywords: | hepatitis C virus pegylated interferon alpha-2b ribavirin |