Efficacy of peginterferon alpha-2A and ribavirin combination therapy in treatment-naive Estonian patients with chronic hepatitis C

• Published in: Central European journal of public health Vol. 20; no. 2; p. 150
• Main Authors: Brjalin, Vadim, Salupere, Riina, Tallo, Tatjana, Kuznetsova, Tatiana, Priimägi, Ljudmilla, Tefanova, Valentina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Czech Republic National Institute of Public Health 01.06.2012
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Antiviral Agents - administration & dosage; Antiviral Agents - adverse effects; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Body weight; Drug dosages; Drug Therapy, Combination; Estonia - epidemiology; Female; Genotype; Genotype & phenotype; Hepatitis; Hepatitis C, Chronic - drug therapy; Hepatitis C, Chronic - genetics; HIV; Hospitals; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Interferon-alpha - administration & dosage; Interferon-alpha - adverse effects; Interferon-alpha - therapeutic use; Male; Middle Aged; Polyethylene Glycols - administration & dosage; Polyethylene Glycols - adverse effects; Polyethylene Glycols - therapeutic use; Prospective Studies; Recombinant Proteins - administration & dosage; Recombinant Proteins - adverse effects; Recombinant Proteins - therapeutic use; Ribavirin - administration & dosage; Ribavirin - adverse effects; Ribavirin - therapeutic use; Sex Factors; Statistical analysis; Substance abuse treatment; Viral Load; Estonia
• ISSN: 1210-7778; 1803-1048
• DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3706

The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy of pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) alpha-2a and ribavirin (RBV) combination therapy in treatment-naive patients with chronic hepatitis C in Estonia. Out of 121 outpatients with chronic hepatitis C (73 males, 48 females, aged 19-63) enrolled in the study, 76 were infected with HCV genotype 1b and 45 with genotype 3a. At baseline, the viral load in 75.2% of patients was higher than 600,000 IU/mL. Histologically, 88.4% of patients had fibrosis score F0-2. Patients received 180 microg of Peg-IFN alpha-2a weekly plus daily ribavirin 1,000 or 1,200 mg, depending on body weight, in HCV genotype 1b, or 800 mg/day in genotype 3a infection. The overall sustained virologic response (SVR) rate in our study was 60.3%, being statistically lower for patients with HCV genotype 1b as compared to patients with genotype 3a (46.1% vs. 84.4%, p < 0.05). The non-response and relapse rates were significantly higher in patients infected with HCV genotype 1b compared with patients infected with genotype 3a (19.7% vs. 2.2%, p = 0.01; and 17.1% vs. 4.4%, p = 0.04; respectively). The SVR rate was higher in patients younger than 40 years compared with older patients (76.4% vs. 47.0%, p < 0.01), regardless of the genotype. Thirteen patients infected with HCV genotype 1b required dose reduction of PegIFN and/or RBV because of adverse side effects. Nine of them achieved SVR. HCV genotype and age younger than 40 years predetermined SVR rate in treatment-naive Estonian patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with Peg-IFN alpha-2a plus ribavirin.