Pegylated alpha-interferon-2a plus ribavirin compared with pegylated alpha-interferon-2b plus ribavi

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J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 Apr 19. [Epub ahead of print]

Pegylated alpha-interferon-2a plus ribavirin compared with pegylated

alpha-interferon-2b plus ribavirin for initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C

virus: Prospective, non-randomized study.

Escudero A, Rodríguez F, Serra MA, Del Olmo JA, Montes F, Rodrigo JM.

Service of Hepatology, University Hospital Clinic, Department of Medicine,

Valencia, Spain.

Background and Aim: We assessed whether the two regimens of pegylated

alpha-interferon-2b (PEG-IFN-alpha2b) plus ribavirin and pegylated

alpha-interferon-2a (PEG-IFN-alpha2a) plus ribavirin showed differences in terms

of sustained virological response, withdrawal due to side-effects and dose

adjustment requirements in the treatment of naive chronic hepatitis C virus

(HCV) patients. Methods: A prospective non-randomized, open-label comparison was

made of naive HCV-infected patients undergoing standard 24- or 48-week treatment

with two PEG-IFN combined with weight-based dosing regimen of ribavirin

(PEG-IFN-alpha2a/ribavirin, n = 91; PEG-IFN-alpha2b/ribavirin, n = 92). Results:

Sustained virological response was similar in PEG-IFN-alpha2a and

PEG-IFN-alpha2b (65.9% vs 62%, P = 0.64), without differences according to

genotype. In 117 patients with HCV genotype 1, the corresponding rates were

50.8% versus 46.6% (P = 0.713). Rapid virological response at 4 weeks, early

virological response at 12 weeks and transient virological response were also

similar. In the multivariate analysis, HCV genotype (odds ratio [OR] = 0.076,

95% confidence interval [CI] 0.029-0.198, P = 0.000) and presence of steatosis

in the liver biopsy (OR = 2.799, 95% CI 1.362-5.755, P = 0.005) were

significantly associated with response to antiviral therapy. The rate of

withdrawals due to treatment-related adverse events was 13.2% in the group of

PEG-IFN-alpha2a and 10.9% in the group of PEG-IFN-alpha2b. Dose modification of

PEG-IFN was necessary in eight patients given PEG-IFN-alpha2a and in seven given

PEG-IFN-alpha2b. Conclusion: The two PEG-IFN plus ribavirin have comparable

anti-HCV activity as shown by similar percentages of patients with sustained

virological response.

PMID: 18422960 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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