The Combination Therapy with Peg-interferon Alfa and Ribavirin for Chronic Hepatitis C in Korea as an Initial Treatment

Bibliographic Details
Title: The Combination Therapy with Peg-interferon Alfa and Ribavirin for Chronic Hepatitis C in Korea as an Initial Treatment
Authors: Dong Hyun Park, Sang Uk Lee, Jin Seok Yu, Jun Seop Lee, Hye Jung Kwon
Source: Kosin Medical Journal, Vol 27, Iss 2, Pp 111-118 (2012)
Publisher Information: Kosin University College of Medicine, 2012.
Publication Year: 2012
Collection: LCC:Medicine (General)
Subject Terms: hepatitis c, peginterferon alfa-2a, peginterferon alfa-2b, ribavirin, Medicine (General), R5-920
More Details: Objectives The combination therapy with peginterferon and ribavirin has been used to treat chronic hepatitis C for several years in Korea but there is a few report about the results of the treatment. We evaluated safety and efficacy of the combination therapy with Peg-interferon and ribavirin and analyzed factors that may affect treatment. Methods Total 72 untreated chronic hepatitis C patients were administered pegylated interferon alfa-2a (180µg/week) or alfa-2b (1.5µg/kg/week) and ribavirin (800 mg/day in genotype 2, 1000-1200 mg/day in genotype 1). Duration of the treatment was 24 weeks in genotype 2 and 48 weeks in genotype 1. Response of the treatment was evaluated by rapid virologic response (RVR), early virologic response (EVR), end treatment virologic response (ETR), sustained virologic response (SVR) and adverse event. Results The RVR, EVR, ETR, SVR were 61.8%, 82.5%, 88.9% and 80.5% retrospectively. The SVR of genotype 1 was 63.4% and non-genotype 1 was 96.7%. Genotype (Odds ratio: 14.92) was an independent predictor of the SVR. Leukocytopenia, flu-like symptoms, itching, rash and anemia were common adverse events of the combination therapy and if then we reduced dose and there was one case of cessation. Conclusions The combination therapy with Peg-interferon and ribavirin shows efficacy to the Korean patients with chronic hepatitis C as an initial treatment. Genotypes 2 and 3 were more likely to have a sustained virologic response.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2005-9531
Relation: http://www.kosinmedj.org/upload/pdf/ksmc027-02-06.pdf; https://doaj.org/toc/2005-9531
DOI: 10.7180/kmj.2012.27.2.111
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/fbaf66ef9c0242adad5a9d93637cc5ce
Accession Number: edsdoj.fbaf66ef9c0242adad5a9d93637cc5ce
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:20059531
DOI:10.7180/kmj.2012.27.2.111
Published in:Kosin Medical Journal
Language:English