PMID: 15230473Jul 3, 2004Paper

Treatment of chronic hepatitis C in hemophilic patients

Acta Virologica
P HusaM Penka

Abstract

Chronic hepatitis C infection is common among hemophiliacs in all the developed countries. Since 1996, only alpha-interferon (alpha-IFN) in monotherapy has been used for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in hemophiliacs (6 patients). In Czech Republic a combination therapy with alpha-IFN and ribavirin has been used since 1999 (13 patients). Finally, a combination therapy with pegylated alpha-IFN (PEG-alpha-IFN) and ribavirin is being used since 2001 (still 3 patients). In all cases, the treatment lasted 48 weeks. A sustained virological response (SVR, defined as an undetectable serum HCV RNA level 24 weeks after the treatment was completed) was not achieved in any of 6 patients treated with alpha-IFN alone. A combination therapy with alpha-IFN and ribavirin yielded better results: four of eight patients still untreated with alpha-IFN (naive patients), one of two relapsers, and one of three non-responders to previous alpha-IFN monotherapy achieved SVR. So far the combination therapy with PEG-alpha-IFN and ribavirin has been used only in 3 patients. SVR was achieved in one patient who had relapsed after the combination therapy with IFN-alpha and ribavirin, and in 1 of 2 non-responders to this therapy. We conclude that the effi...Continue Reading

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