Abstract
Aim: To determine the efficacy of an interferon alpha and ribavirin combination treatment for Japanese patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) of genotype 2, a multi-center study was retrospectively analyzed. Methods: In total, 173 patients with HCV genotype 2 started to receive interferon-alpha subcutaneously thrice a week and 600-800 mg of ribavirin daily for 24 wk. Results: The overall sustained virological response (SVR), defined as undetectable HCV RNA in serum, 24 wk after the end of treatment, was remarkably high by 84.4%, (146/173) by an intention-to-treat analysis. A significant difference in SVR was found between patients with and without the discontinuation of ribavirin (46.9% vs 92.9%), but no difference was found between those with and without a dose reduction of ribavirin. A significant difference in SVR was also found between patients with less than 16 wk and patients with 16 or more weeks of ribavirin treatment (34.8% vs 92.0%). Conclusion: The 24-wk interferon and ribavirin treatment is highly effective for Japanese patients with HCV genotype 2. The significant predictor of SVR is continuation of the ribavirin treatment for up to 16 weeks.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 784-790 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | World Journal of Gastroenterology |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Feb 7 2006 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Gastroenterology