Predictors of sustained response to alpha interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C

• Published in: Journal of hepatology Vol. 29; no. 2; pp. 214 - 223
• Main Authors: Martinot-Peignoux, Michèle, Boyer, Nathalie, Pouteau, Michèle, Castelnau, Corinne, Giuily, Nathalie, Duchatelle, Véronique, Aupérin, Anne, Degott, Claude, Benhamou, Jean-Pierre, Erlinger, Serge, Marcellin, Patrick
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier B.V 01.08.1998; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Alanine Transaminase - blood; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Chronic hepatitis C; Female; Follow-Up Studies; HCV genotype; Hepacivirus - isolation & purification; Hepatitis C, Chronic - blood; Hepatitis C, Chronic - pathology; Hepatitis C, Chronic - therapy; Humans; IFN therapy; Immunomodulators; Interferon alpha-2; Interferon-alpha - therapeutic use; Liver - pathology; Male; Medical sciences; Multivariate Analysis; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Predictive factors; Prognosis; Recombinant Proteins; Retrospective Studies; RNA, Viral - blood; Serum HCV RNA; Sustained response; Treatment Outcome; IFN therapy; Sustained response; Chronic hepatitis C; Serum HCV RNA; Predictive factors; HCV genotype; Human; Response stability; Alpha interferon; RNA virus; Treatment efficiency; Cytokine; Hepatic disease; Genotype; Serology; Infection; Chronic; Treatment; Viral disease; Immunotherapy; Digestive diseases; Predictive factor; Viral hepatitis C
• ISSN: 0168-8278; 1600-0641
• DOI: 10.1016/S0168-8278(98)80006-8

Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the predictors for sustained response to alpha interferon therapy in a large population of patients with chronic hepatitis C, using multivariate analysis. Methods: Two hundred and ninety-six patients were included in four controlled trials of alpha interferon. Pretreatment serum HCV RNA levels were assessed by the branched DNA version 2.0 assay and HCV genotypes by the reverse hybridization assay (LiPA). Results: Sustained responses were observed in 37%, 14% and 6% of the patients with low, mediumand high pretreatment serum HCV RNA levels, respectively ( p<10 −4). Sustained responses were observed in 5%, 4%, 32% and 27% of the patients with genotype 1a, 1b, 2a and 3a, respectively ( p<10 −4). The multivariate analysis showed that a non-transfusional source of HCV infection, low serum HCV RNA levels and HCV genotypes non-1 (2a or 3a) were independent factors associated with sustained response to interferon therapy. Conclusion: Virological factors (flow pretreatment serum HCV RNA level and HCV genotype non-1a and non-1b), when adjusted in a large population of patients, using improved technology, are the main independent predictors of sustained response to alpha interferon therapy.