BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: Peginterferon alpha-2a or -2b is the standard treatment regimen in chronic hepatitis C. However, there have been few comparative studies of the efficacies of these two types of peginterferon. We evaluated their efficacies in combination with ribavirin as a initial treatment for chronic hepatitis C. METHODS: Ninety-seven patients were treated with peginterferon alpha-2a (180 microg/week, n=48) or peginterferon alpha-2b (1.5 microg/kg/week, n=49) plus ribavirin (800 mg/day for 24 weeks in genotype non-1 or 1,000-1,200 mg/day for 48 weeks in genotype 1). Virologic responses including the early virologic response (EVR), end-of-treatment response (ETR), sustained virologic response (SVR), and adverse effects were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The virologic response rates did not differ significantly between peginterferon alpha-2a and -2b: 89.6% and 89.7% for EVR, 79.2% and 79.5% for ETR, 72.9% and 73.5% for SVR, respectively. Analysis of the virologic responses according to genotype also revealed no significant differences in SVR between peginterferon alpha-2a and -2b (59.3% vs. 59.7% for genotype 1 and 90.5% vs. 83.3% for genotype non-1, respectively), or in adverse effects including flu-like symptom, rash, itching, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia. CONCLUSIONS: We found no significant differences in therapeutic efficacies and adverse effects between the alpha-2a and -2b types of peginterferon as the initial treatment regimen in naive chronic hepatitis C patients.
BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: Peginterferon alpha-2a or -2b is the standard treatment regimen in chronic hepatitis C. However, there have been few comparative studies of the efficacies of these two types of peginterferon. We evaluated their efficacies in combination with ribavirin as a initial treatment for chronic hepatitis C. METHODS: Ninety-seven patients were treated with peginterferon alpha-2a (180 microg/week, n=48) or peginterferon alpha-2b (1.5 microg/kg/week, n=49) plus ribavirin (800 mg/day for 24 weeks in genotype non-1 or 1,000-1,200 mg/day for 48 weeks in genotype 1). Virologic responses including the early virologic response (EVR), end-of-treatment response (ETR), sustained virologic response (SVR), and adverse effects were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The virologic response rates did not differ significantly between peginterferon alpha-2a and -2b: 89.6% and 89.7% for EVR, 79.2% and 79.5% for ETR, 72.9% and 73.5% for SVR, respectively. Analysis of the virologic responses according to genotype also revealed no significant differences in SVR between peginterferon alpha-2a and -2b (59.3% vs. 59.7% for genotype 1 and 90.5% vs. 83.3% for genotype non-1, respectively), or in adverse effects including flu-like symptom, rash, itching, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia. CONCLUSIONS: We found no significant differences in therapeutic efficacies and adverse effects between the alpha-2a and -2b types of peginterferon as the initial treatment regimen in naive chronic hepatitis Cpatients.
Authors: Hyun Seok Lee; Young Oh Kweon; Won Young Tak; Soo Young Park; Eun Jung Kang; Yu Lim Lee; Hae Min Yang; Hyun Woo Park Journal: Clin Mol Hepatol Date: 2013-06-27
Authors: Seok Hoo Jeong; Young Kul Jung; Jae Won Yang; Sang Jin Park; Jong Woo Kim; Oh Sang Kwon; Yun Soo Kim; Duck Joo Choi; Ju Hyun Kim Journal: Clin Mol Hepatol Date: 2012-12-21