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Risk factors for relapse in chronic hepatitis C patients who have achieved end of treatment response
Author(s) -
Shin Su Rin,
Sinn Dong Hyun,
Gwak GeumYoun,
Cho Moon Seok,
Lee Joon Hyoek,
Koh Kwang Cheol,
Yoo Byung Chul,
Paik Seung Woon
Publication year - 2010
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.1440-1746.2009.06176.x
Subject(s) - medicine , chronic hepatitis , hepatitis c , gastroenterology , oncology , immunology , virus
Background and Aim: Some patients with chronic hepatitis C experience virologic relapse even after achieving an end of treatment response. Prolonged therapy can be effective for helping such high‐risk patients to avoid relapse. We aimed to identify factors predictive of virologic relapse in chronic hepatitis C patients who have achieved end of treatment response. Methods: We analyzed data from 242 chronic hepatitis C patients who achieved end of treatment response with peginterferon plus ribavirin therapy from 2003 to 2007. Results: Virologic relapse was identified in 32 patients (13.2%). We considered age, sex, body mass index, presence of diabetes, hemoglobin, platelet, alanine aminotransferase, stage of fibrosis, baseline hepatitis C virus RNA level, rapid virologic response, and adherence to drugs. For genotype 1 patients, older age (≥ 50 years) and higher baseline RNA level (≥ 2000 000 IU/mL) were significantly correlated with occurrence of relapse. For genotypes 2 and 3, lower adherence to peginterferon (< 80%) was an independent risk factor for relapse. Conclusions: In chronic hepatitis C patients who had achieved end of treatment response, risk factors for relapse were older age and higher baseline hepatitis C virus RNA level in genotype 1, and lower adherence to peginterferon in genotypes 2 and 3, which may be valuable to individualize duration of therapy.