Weight loss during pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment of chronic HCV

[Guest guest]

Journal of Viral Hepatitis

Volume 12 Issue 5 Page 531 - September 2005

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2893.2005.00637.x

Weight loss during pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment of chronic

hepatitis C*

M. S. Seyam, D. A. Freshwater, K. O'Donnell and D. J. Mutimer

Summary. Treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with interferon

(IFN)-alpha, as monotherapy or in combination with ribavirin, is associated

with significant side-effects including weight loss. The aim of our study

was to describe the evolution of body weight during combination antiviral

treatment and to examine the possible determinants of weight loss. This was

a retrospective analysis of 126 patients who received combination therapy of

pegylated IFN-alpha-2b and ribavirin at our unit. Body weight was recorded

at each outpatient attendance during treatment and follow-up, and was

expressed as a percentage of baseline value. We observed a decline of body

weight during treatment. Median (range) weight values at 4, 12, 24, and 48

weeks (expressed as percentage of baseline weight) were 97.7 (91.5110.2),

95.4 (84.4109.4), 93.7 (80.8106.5), and 91.1 (80.1103.6) respectively. There

was no significant association of increased weight loss with age, gender,

pretreatment weight, ethnicity, pretreatment histological stage, cumulative

IFN dose (adjusted for body weight), HCV genotype or treatment outcome.

Median body weight returned to baseline within 6 months of stopping

treatment. Patients experience significant weight loss during combination

therapy. Those experiencing greater weight losses during therapy did not

benefit from improved antiviral response.

[Guest guest]

Journal of Viral Hepatitis

Volume 12 Issue 5 Page 531 - September 2005

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2893.2005.00637.x

Weight loss during pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment of chronic

hepatitis C*

M. S. Seyam, D. A. Freshwater, K. O'Donnell and D. J. Mutimer

Summary. Treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with interferon

(IFN)-alpha, as monotherapy or in combination with ribavirin, is associated

with significant side-effects including weight loss. The aim of our study

was to describe the evolution of body weight during combination antiviral

treatment and to examine the possible determinants of weight loss. This was

a retrospective analysis of 126 patients who received combination therapy of

pegylated IFN-alpha-2b and ribavirin at our unit. Body weight was recorded

at each outpatient attendance during treatment and follow-up, and was

expressed as a percentage of baseline value. We observed a decline of body

weight during treatment. Median (range) weight values at 4, 12, 24, and 48

weeks (expressed as percentage of baseline weight) were 97.7 (91.5110.2),

95.4 (84.4109.4), 93.7 (80.8106.5), and 91.1 (80.1103.6) respectively. There

was no significant association of increased weight loss with age, gender,

pretreatment weight, ethnicity, pretreatment histological stage, cumulative

IFN dose (adjusted for body weight), HCV genotype or treatment outcome.

Median body weight returned to baseline within 6 months of stopping

treatment. Patients experience significant weight loss during combination

therapy. Those experiencing greater weight losses during therapy did not

benefit from improved antiviral response.