Gut Liver.  2016 Sep;10(5):808-817. 10.5009/gnl15360.

Treatment Response and Long-Term Outcome of Peginterferon α and Ribavirin Therapy in Korean Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C

• Jung CH
• Um SH
• Kim TH
• Yim SY
• Suh SJ
• Yim HJ
• Seo YS
• Choi HS
• Chun HJ

• KMID: 2412080
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5009/gnl15360

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
Peginterferon plus ribavirin remains a standard therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in Korea. We investigated the efficacy and long-term outcome of peginterferon and ribavirin therapy in Korean patients with CHC, particularly in relation to the stage of liver fibrosis.
METHODS
The incidence of sustained virological response (SVR), hepatic decompensation, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver-related death was analyzed in 304 patients with CHC; the patients were followed up for a median of 54 months.
RESULTS
Among patients with HCV genotype 1, the SVR rate was 36.7% (18/49) and 67% (69/103) for patients with and without cirrhosis, respectively (p<0.001). For patients with non-1 HCV genotypes, the SVR rates were 86.0% (37/43) in cirrhotic patients and 86.2% (94/109) in noncirrhotic patients. SVR significantly reduced the risk of liver-related death, hepatic decompensation, and hepatocellular carcinoma, which had hazard ratios of 0.27, 0.16, and 0.22, respectively (all p<0.05). However, despite the SVR rate, patients with advanced fibrosis were still at risk of developing liver-related complications.
CONCLUSIONS
A relatively high SVR rate was achieved by peginterferon plus ribavirin therapy in Korean patients with CHC, which improved their long-term outcomes. However, all CHC patients with advanced hepatic fibrosis should receive close follow-up observations, even after successful antiviral treatment.

Keyword

Hepatitis C virus clinical trials; Hepatitis C virus treatment; Hepatitis C; clinical; Viral hepatitis

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Antiviral Agents/*administration & dosage
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/epidemiology/virology
DNA, Viral/analysis
Drug Therapy, Combination
Female
Genotype
Hepacivirus/drug effects/genetics
Hepatitis C, Chronic/complications/*drug therapy/virology
Humans
Incidence
Interferon-alpha/*administration & dosage
Liver
Liver Cirrhosis/*virology
Liver Neoplasms/epidemiology/virology
Male
Middle Aged
Polyethylene Glycols/*administration & dosage
Recombinant Proteins/administration & dosage
Republic of Korea/epidemiology
Ribavirin/*administration & dosage
Sustained Virologic Response
Time
Antiviral Agents
DNA, Viral
Interferon-alpha
Recombinant Proteins
Polyethylene Glycols
Ribavirin