A Randomized, Controlled Trial to Determine Whether Continued Ribavirin Monotherapy in Hepatitis C Virus-Infected Patients Who Responded to Interferon-Ribavirin Combination Therapy Will Enhance Sustained Virologic Response

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 184; no. 4; pp. 405 - 409
• Main Authors: Shiffman, Mitchell L., Hofmann, Charlotte M., Sterling, Richard K., Luketic, Velimir A., Contos, Melissa J., Sanyal, Arun J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 15.08.2001; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Adult; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Chronic hepatitis; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Genotypes; Hemoglobins; Hepacivirus - drug effects; Hepacivirus - isolation & purification; Hepatitis C virus; Hepatitis C, Chronic - drug therapy; Hepatitis C, Chronic - virology; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Interferon Type I - therapeutic use; Interferons; Liver; Major Articles; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Recombinant Proteins; Relapse; Ribavirin - therapeutic use; RNA; RNA, Viral - blood; Secondary Prevention; Treatment Outcome; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Viral hepatitis; Virology; Viruses; Human; Use; Cytokine; Hepatic disease; Ribavirin; Infection; Virus; Chronic; Treatment; Viral disease; Digestive diseases; Interferon; Nucleosidic analog; Flaviviridae; Hepatitis C virus; Hepacivirus; Viral hepatitis C
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/322778

This study assessed the use of ribavirin monotherapy to enhance sustained virologic response in hepatitis C virus (HCV)–infected patients who achieved virologic response to interferon (IFN)–ribavirin combination therapy. Patients who had chronic HCV infection and prior relapse were retreated with IFN-ribavirin for 6 months. Patients with an end-of-treatment virologic response were assigned randomly to either stop use of both IFN and ribavirin or to continue use of ribavirin as monotherapy for an additional 6 months. HCV RNA became undetectable during treatment in 46 patients, who then entered the randomized trial. Sustained virologic response was observed in 13 of 26 patients who continued ribavirin monotherapy and in 15 of 20 patients who stopped use of both IFN and ribavirin (P not significant). Sustained virologic response was significantly more common in patients with HCV genotype non-1 (75% vs. 56%) and in patients with a virus titer <2×106 copies/mL (93% vs. 43%). The results indicate that continuing ribavirin monotherapy after achieving a virologic response does not improve sustained virologic response