[Results of pegylated interferon and ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in clinical practice: a 5-year experience]

INTRODUCTION

Numerous clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin but little is known about the results obtained in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate treatment response and factors influencing the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in clinical practice.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Between August 2001 and December 2005, we treated 219 patients with pegylated interferon (alpha 2a -fixed dose, or alpha 2b, according to weight) and ribavirin. Patients with genotype 1 or 4 received treatment with pegylated interferon alpha 2a (180 microg/week) and ribavirin (1000 mg/day if body weight was <75 kg or 1200 mg/day if body weight was >75 kg) or interferon alpha 2b (1.5 microg/kg/week) and ribavirin (10.6 mg/kg/day) for 48 weeks. Patients with genotype 2 or 3 were treated for 24 weeks with the same regimen of pegylated interferon alpha-2a or alpha-2b, but with 800 mg of ribavirin divided in two daily doses. Sustained viral response was defined as absence of HCV-RNA 6 months after the end of treatment.

RESULTS

A total of 219 patients were included (69% men; mean age 44+/-10). As epidemiological antecedents, 22.4% of the treated patients had previously consumed drugs parenterally and 22.4% had received blood transfusions before 1992. Forty-seven percent of the patients with liver biopsy had fibrosis bridges or established liver cirrhosis. The genotype was distributed as follows: 69.8% genotype 1, 4.1% genotype 2, 17.8% genotype 3, and 8.2% genotype 4. Of the 219 patients, 76 (35%) were treated with pegylated interferon alpha 2a and 143 (65%) with interferon alpha 2b. Analysis of response by genotype revealed that sustained viral response was obtained in 46% genotype 1, 88.9% genotype 2, 78.9% genotype 3, and 33.3% genotype 4. Univariate analysis showed that the only variable influencing sustained viral response was genotype.

CONCLUSION

Treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin in clinical practice shows a similar pattern of sustained viral response to that obtained in clinical research. The main variable correlated with sustained viral response continues to be viral genotype.