Improved response to ribavirin interferon combination compared with interferon alone in patients with type 4 chronic hepatitis C without cirrhosis.

UNLABELLED

Response to treatment with alpha interferon with or without concomitant ribavirin varies according to the viral genotype in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

AIM

This study was undertaken in order to determine the response of genotype 4 chronic hepatitis C to interferon and ribavirin combination compared to interferon alone in patients without cirrhosis.

METHODS

Fifty-two patients were given interferon alone at a dose of 5 million units, 3 times a week and another 60 patients were administered with interferon combined with ribavarin (1,000-1,200 mg/ day) for 24 weeks. Sustained biochemical response was defined as normal ALT, 6 months after end of therapy. Sustained virologic response was defined as negative HCV RNA, 6 months after the end of therapy.

RESULTS

Only 10/52 (19%) patients showed sustained biochemical response after interferon alone, while 31/60 (52%) showed sustained biochemical response after interferon combined with ribavirin (p<0.01). Only 4/52 (8%) patients showed sustained virologic response after interferon alone, while 25/60 (42%) showed sustained virologic response after interferon combined with ribavirin (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

These results show that patients with chronic hepatitis due to hepatitis C virus type 4 show a poor response to interferon alone but a better response to interferon combined with ribavirin.