%0 Journal Article
%T Impact of ribavirin dose on retreatment of chronic hepatitis C patients
%A Christiane Stern
%A Michelle Martinot-Peignoux
%A Marie Pierre Ripault
%A Nathalie Boyer
%J World Journal of Gastroenterology
%D 2012
%I Baishideng Publishing Group Co. Limited
%R 10.3748/wjg.v18.i23.2966
%X AIM: To study the efficacy and factors associated with a sustained virological response (SVR) in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) relapsing patients. METHODS: Out of 1228 CHC patients treated with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV), 165 (13%) had a relapse. Among these, 62 patients were retreated with PEG-IFN-¦Á2a or -¦Á2b and RBV. Clinical, biological, virological and histological data were collected. Initial doses and treatment modifications were recorded. The efficacy of retreatment and predictive factors for SVR were analyzed. RESULTS: An SVR was achieved in 42% of patients. SVR was higher in young (< 50 years) (61%) than old patients (27%) (P = 0.007), and in genotype 2 or 3 (57%) than in genotype 1 or 4 (28%) patients (P = 0.023). Prolonging therapy for at least 24 wk more than the previous course was associated with higher SVR rates (53% vs 28%, P = 0.04). Also, a better SVR rate was observed with RBV dose/body weight > 15.2 mg/kg per day (70% vs 35%, P = 0.04). In logistic regression, predictors of a response were age (P = 0.018), genotype (P = 0.048) and initial RBV dose/body weight (P = 0.022). None of the patients without a complete early virological response achieved an SVR (negative predictive value = 100%). CONCLUSION: Retreatment with PEG-IFN/RBV is eff-ective in genotype 2 or 3 relapsers, especially in young patients. A high dose of RBV seems to be important for the retreatment response.
%K Chronic hepatitis C
%K Relapse
%K Retreatment
%K Ribavirin
%K Pegylated interferon
%U http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/full/v18/i23/2966.htm