Long Term Follow-Up of Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Treated with Alpha Interferon
Interferon alpha (IFN) treatment for chronic hepatitis C induces a sustained biochemical and virological response at six months after completing 24 weeks of therapy in approximately 10% of patients. The long term durability of this ‘sustained’ response is still controversial. The aim of this multice...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2000-01-01
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| Series: | Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2000/405638 |
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| Summary: | Interferon
alpha (IFN) treatment for chronic hepatitis C induces a
sustained biochemical and virological response at six months after
completing 24 weeks of therapy in approximately 10% of patients.
The long term durability of this ‘sustained’ response is still controversial.
The aim of this multicentre study was to assess the long
term virological response in patients considered to have achieved
a sustained biochemical response six months after completing IFN
treatment. The majority (36 of 41) of the sustained responders
identified had been treated for six months with IFN therapy.
Twenty-nine of the 41 patients (70%) had undetectable hepatitis
C virus (HCV) RNA after a mean follow-up of 38 months after
cessation of treatment (range six to 92 months). All but one of
those 29 individuals had normal serum alanine aminotransferase
(ALT) levels. Of the 16 patients (out of 41) who had been tested
for HCV RNA six months after treatment, HCV RNA remained
undetectable in 14 (88%) at final follow-up. Serum ALT values in
the 11 of 12 patients whose HCV RNA was positive at final
follow-up were lower than pretreatment values, and in six cases
were within the normal range. The long term sustained virological
response in those considered a ‘sustained responder’ six months after
receiving only six months of IFN is high. Measurement of ALT
is an unreliable marker of sustained response to therapy. |
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| ISSN: | 0835-7900 |