BACKGROUND: Appropriate treatment of acute hepatitis C is still a matter of controversy due to the lack of large controlled trials. AIM: To assess the effectiveness of interferon as treatment for acute hepatitis C by meta-analysis. METHODS: MEDLINE search (1985-2002) was supplemented with manual searches of reference lists. Studies were included if they were controlled trials comparing interferon to no treatment and if they included patients with either post-transfusion or sporadic acute hepatitis C. Twelve trials were analyzed (414 patients). The outcome assessed was the sustained virological response (SVR) rate (undetectable hepatitis C virus RNA in serum at least 6 months after cessation of therapy). RESULTS: Interferon significantly increased the SVR (risk difference 49%; 95% confidence interval 32.9-65%) in comparison to no treatment. The risk difference of SVR increased from 5 to 90% when trials were ordered by increasing interferon weekly dose. Delaying therapy by 8-12 weeks after the onset of disease does not compromise the SVR rate. CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence is sufficient to recommend interferon treatment of patients with acute hepatitis C. A later initiation of therapy yields the same likelihood of response as early treatment. A daily induction dose during the 1st month is the best option of treatment.
BACKGROUND: Appropriate treatment of acute hepatitis C is still a matter of controversy due to the lack of large controlled trials. AIM: To assess the effectiveness of interferon as treatment for acute hepatitis C by meta-analysis. METHODS: MEDLINE search (1985-2002) was supplemented with manual searches of reference lists. Studies were included if they were controlled trials comparing interferon to no treatment and if they included patients with either post-transfusion or sporadic acute hepatitis C. Twelve trials were analyzed (414 patients). The outcome assessed was the sustained virological response (SVR) rate (undetectable hepatitis C virus RNA in serum at least 6 months after cessation of therapy). RESULTS: Interferon significantly increased the SVR (risk difference 49%; 95% confidence interval 32.9-65%) in comparison to no treatment. The risk difference of SVR increased from 5 to 90% when trials were ordered by increasing interferon weekly dose. Delaying therapy by 8-12 weeks after the onset of disease does not compromise the SVR rate. CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence is sufficient to recommend interferon treatment of patients with acute hepatitis C. A later initiation of therapy yields the same likelihood of response as early treatment. A daily induction dose during the 1st month is the best option of treatment.
Authors: Gregory J Dore; Margaret Hellard; Gail V Matthews; Jason Grebely; Paul S Haber; Kathy Petoumenos; Barbara Yeung; Philippa Marks; Ingrid van Beek; Geoffrey McCaughan; Peter White; Rosemary French; William Rawlinson; Andrew R Lloyd; John M Kaldor Journal: Gastroenterology Date: 2009-09-24 Impact factor: 22.682
Authors: Dong Hyun Sinn; Seung Up Kim; Hye Kyung Hyun; Eun Ju Cho; Soo Young Park; Young Mi Hong; Soon Sun Kim; Hwi Young Kim; Nae-Yun Heo; Jung Gil Park; Wonseok Kang; Song Won Jeong; Myeong Jun Song; Hana Park; Danbi Lee; Yong Sun Lee; Sung Bum Cho; Chan Sik An; Hyung Jin Rhee; Hyun Woong Lee; Beom Kyung Kim; Jun Yong Park; Do Young Kim; Sang Hoon Ahn; Kwang-Hyub Han; Jeong-Hoon Lee; Su Jong Yu; Yoon Jun Kim; Jung-Hwan Yoon; Won Young Tak; Young Oh Kweon; Ki Tae Yoon; Mong Cho; Jae Youn Cheong; Seung Ha Park Journal: Dig Dis Sci Date: 2020-08-28 Impact factor: 3.199