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Prospective study of short‐term peginterferon‐α‐2a monotherapy in patients who had a virological response at 2 weeks after initiation of interferon therapy
Author(s) -
Jeong Soocheol,
Kawakami Yoshiiku,
Kitamoto Mikiya,
Ishihara Hiroto,
Tsuji Keiji,
Aimitsu Shiomi,
Kawakami Hiroiku,
Uka Kiminori,
Takaki Shintaro,
Kodama Hideaki,
Waki Koji,
Imamura Michio,
Aikata Hiroshi,
Takahashi Shoichi,
Chayama Kazuaki
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2008.05356.x
Subject(s) - medicine , adverse effect , prospective cohort study , gastroenterology , interferon , combination therapy , pegylated interferon , hepatitis c virus , titer , ribavirin , immunology , virus
Background and Aims: Long‐term interferon (IFN) therapy is effective in eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV). However, it carries the risk of adverse effects and reduced quality of life. To assess whether short‐term IFN therapy effectively eliminates HCV, we performed a prospective pilot study of pegylated (peg)IFN‐α‐2a therapy for 8 or 24 weeks. Methods: After excluding patients with high titers of genotype‐1, 55 HCV patients received pegIFN‐α‐2a. Patients who became negative for HCV‐RNA at week 2 were allocated to either an 8‐week ( n = 19) or 24‐week ( n = 15) course of IFN. We evaluated the efficacy of and tolerance to IFN therapy. Results: The sustained virological response rate was excellent in the two groups (8 weeks, 89.5% [17/19]; 24 weeks, 100% [15/15], respectively,). IFN dose reduction was required in one patient of the 8‐week group, but in six patients of the 24‐week group ( P = 0.028). Treatment was completed by all patients of the 8‐week group, but discontinued in five patients of the 24‐week group ( P = 0.011). Conclusions: The 8‐week IFN therapy is more tolerable than the 24‐week therapy and had similar outcomes. Excluding the patients with high titers of genotype‐1, we recommend switching to an 8‐week course of pegIFN‐α monotherapy once patients show an ultra rapid virological response at week 2 from the start of IFN therapy.