BACKGROUND/AIMS: Insulin resistance reduces the response to interferon alfa-based therapy of chronic hepatitis C patients. It has been speculated that improvement of insulin sensitivity might increase the chances of responding to treatment of such individuals. METHODS: We started a multicenter clinical trial of retreatment of chronic hepatitis C patients, who had failed to respond to the pegylated interferon alfa/ribavirin combination, with a triple therapy consisting in these same antivirals plus an insulin-sensitizer (pioglitazone) (The INSPIRED-HCV study). RESULTS: None of the first five patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria and included in the trial achieved a satisfactory virological response after 12 weeks of retreatment, despite the fact that in at least three of them the insulin resistance score improved. As a result, the study was terminated. CONCLUSIONS: Different schedules are warranted to improve insulin sensitivity prior to attempting retreatment of chronic hepatitis C patients with insulin resistance.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Insulin resistance reduces the response to interferon alfa-based therapy of chronic hepatitis Cpatients. It has been speculated that improvement of insulin sensitivity might increase the chances of responding to treatment of such individuals. METHODS: We started a multicenter clinical trial of retreatment of chronic hepatitis Cpatients, who had failed to respond to the pegylated interferon alfa/ribavirin combination, with a triple therapy consisting in these same antivirals plus an insulin-sensitizer (pioglitazone) (The INSPIRED-HCV study). RESULTS: None of the first five patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria and included in the trial achieved a satisfactory virological response after 12 weeks of retreatment, despite the fact that in at least three of them the insulin resistance score improved. As a result, the study was terminated. CONCLUSIONS: Different schedules are warranted to improve insulin sensitivity prior to attempting retreatment of chronic hepatitis Cpatients with insulin resistance.
Authors: Marie-Louise C Vachon; Stephanie H Factor; Andrea D Branch; Maria-Isabel Fiel; Maribel Rodriguez-Torres; Norbert Bräu; Richard K Sterling; Jihad Slim; Andrew H Talal; Douglas T Dieterich; Mark S Sulkowski Journal: J Hepatol Date: 2010-08-21 Impact factor: 25.083
Authors: Umberto Vespasiani-Gentilucci; Paolo Gallo; Antonio De Vincentis; Giovanni Galati; Antonio Picardi Journal: World J Gastroenterol Date: 2014-03-21 Impact factor: 5.742