| Efficacy of initial treatment with peginterferon alpha-2a versus peginterferon alpha-2b in combination with ribavirin in naive chronic hepatitis C patients Living in Daejeon and Chungcheong Province in Korea: A comparative study |
| Jeong Il Kim, M.D, Seok Hyun Kim, M.D., Byung Seok Lee, M.D., Heon Young Lee, M.D.,
Tae Hee Lee, M.D.1, Young Woo Kang, M.D.1, Hyang Ie Lee, M.D.2, An Na Kim, M.D.2,
Soon Woo Nam, M.D.3, Byeong Chool Park, M.D.4, Hee Bok Chae, M.D.4, Seok Bae Kim, M.D.5,
Il Han Song, M.D.5, Ji Young Park, M.D.6, Hong Su Kim, M.D.6 |
| Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon,
1Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon,
2Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji University College of Medicine, Daejeon,
3Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Daejeon,
4Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju,
5Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan,
6Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea |
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| ABSTRACT |
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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 ?g/week, n=48) or peginterferon alpha-2b(1.5 ?g/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 peg-interferon 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. (Korean J Hepatol 2008;14:493-502) |
| KeyWords:
Peginterferon; Ribavirin; Efficacy; Adverse effects; Hepatitis C |
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