Interferon-beta plus ribavirin therapy can be safely and effectively administered to elderly patients with chronic hepatitis C

• Published in: Journal of infection and chemotherapy : official journal of the Japan Society of Chemotherapy Vol. 20; no. 8; pp. 489 - 492
• Main Authors: Nomura, Hideyuki, Miyagi, Yuugou, Tanimoto, Hironori, Yamashita, Nobuyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2014
• Subjects: Aged; Antiviral Agents - administration & dosage; Antiviral Agents - adverse effects; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Chronic hepatitis C; Female; Glomerular Filtration Rate; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Hemoglobins - analysis; Hepatitis C, Chronic - drug therapy; Hepatitis C, Chronic - epidemiology; Humans; Interferon-beta - administration & dosage; Interferon-beta - adverse effects; Interferon-beta - therapeutic use; Interferon-beta plus ribavirin; Male; Older patients; Pegylated interferon plus ribavirin; Ribavirin - administration & dosage; Ribavirin - adverse effects; Ribavirin - therapeutic use; Serum Albumin - analysis; Treatment discontinuation; Pegylated interferon plus ribavirin; Older patients; Treatment discontinuation; Chronic hepatitis C; Interferon-beta plus ribavirin
• ISSN: 1341-321X; 1437-7780
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jiac.2014.04.009

Abstract Aim This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of interferon-beta plus ribavirin therapy in older Japanese patients. Patients and methods This study enrolled 132 older patients (age, ≥65 years) with chronic hepatitis C who received 24–48 weeks of interferon-beta plus ribavirin (FR; n  = 66) or pegylated interferon-alpha plus ribavirin (PR; n  = 66) therapy. Results Patients with the ITPA genotype (CA/AA) in the PR group had significantly greater decreases in hemoglobin levels than those in the FR group at or after week 8. The proportions of patients with a dose reduction of interferon-beta and ribavirin in the FR group were significantly lower than those in the PR group. A significantly higher proportion of patients completed treatment in the FR group than in the PR group. The sustained virological response (intention-to-treat analysis) rate of naïve patients with genotype 1 was 29% (6 of 21) in the PR group and 29% (6 of 21) in the FR group. The sustained virological response (intention-to-treat) rate of those with genotype 2 was 67% (12 of 18) in the PR group and 72% (13 of 18) in the FR group. Conclusion Interferon-beta plus ribavirin therapy was safe in elderly patients, with lower proportions of patients with a dose reduction of interferon-beta or ribavirin and treatment discontinuation. In treatment-naïve patients, the sustained virological response rate was similar between interferon-beta plus ribavirin therapy and pegylated interferon-alpha plus ribavirin therapy, regardless of whether the patients had hepatitis C virus genotype 1 or 2.