Pegylated interferon-alpha2b plus ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 4 infection in patients with normal serum ALT
Background. Approximately one-third of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection have persistently normal liver enzymes reflected by a normal serum alanine transaminase (ALT). Data with regards the efficacy and safety of treatment in patients chronically infected with Hepatitis C virus genot...
Main Authors: | , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Elsevier
2012-03-01
|
Series: | Annals of Hepatology |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1665268119310233 |
id |
doaj-d1809cabca9f42fdab799949ca924426 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-d1809cabca9f42fdab799949ca9244262021-06-09T05:53:08ZengElsevierAnnals of Hepatology1665-26812012-03-01112186193Pegylated interferon-alpha2b plus ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 4 infection in patients with normal serum ALTJaber Al-Ali0Iqbal Siddique1Rosh Varghese2Fuad Hasan3Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait; Department of Medicine, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Kuwait; Correspondence and reprint request:Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait; Thunayan Al-Ghanim Gastroenterology Center, Al-Amiri Hospital, KuwaitDepartment of Medicine, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, KuwaitDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait; Department of Medicine, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, KuwaitBackground. Approximately one-third of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection have persistently normal liver enzymes reflected by a normal serum alanine transaminase (ALT). Data with regards the efficacy and safety of treatment in patients chronically infected with Hepatitis C virus genotype 4 and normal serum ALT are limited. Aim. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin combination therapy in this population.Material and methods. Twenty-two patients with chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 4 infection were enrolled in an open-labeled, uncontrolled pilot study. All patients had biopsy proven chronic hepatitis and persistently normal serum ALT levels. Patients were treated with subcutaneous peginterferon alfa-2b at a dose of 1.5 μg/kg body weight once per week plus oral ribavirin (15 mg/kg/day) for 48 weeks. Patients were followed for 24 weeks post-treatment.Results. Sixteen patients out of twenty two completed the study (9 [40.9%] females, mean age 43.8 years). The ALT level were normal in all patients, with a mean of 38.6 U/L. Sustained viral response was achieved in 13 patients (59%), 4 patients (18.1%) were non-responders and 2 patients (9%) relapsed while 1 patient had a viral breakthrough during treatment. Two patients (9%) discontinued the treatment because of adverse events.Conclusions. Combination therapy of pegylated interferon-alpha2b and ribavirin is safe and resulted in a sustained viro-logical response in a significant number of patients with chronic Hepatitis C, genotype 4, and persistently normal serum ALT.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1665268119310233Hepatitis C virusGenotype 4Pegylated InterferonNormal transaminases |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Jaber Al-Ali Iqbal Siddique Rosh Varghese Fuad Hasan |
spellingShingle |
Jaber Al-Ali Iqbal Siddique Rosh Varghese Fuad Hasan Pegylated interferon-alpha2b plus ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 4 infection in patients with normal serum ALT Annals of Hepatology Hepatitis C virus Genotype 4 Pegylated Interferon Normal transaminases |
author_facet |
Jaber Al-Ali Iqbal Siddique Rosh Varghese Fuad Hasan |
author_sort |
Jaber Al-Ali |
title |
Pegylated interferon-alpha2b plus ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 4 infection in patients with normal serum ALT |
title_short |
Pegylated interferon-alpha2b plus ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 4 infection in patients with normal serum ALT |
title_full |
Pegylated interferon-alpha2b plus ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 4 infection in patients with normal serum ALT |
title_fullStr |
Pegylated interferon-alpha2b plus ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 4 infection in patients with normal serum ALT |
title_full_unstemmed |
Pegylated interferon-alpha2b plus ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 4 infection in patients with normal serum ALT |
title_sort |
pegylated interferon-alpha2b plus ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis c virus genotype 4 infection in patients with normal serum alt |
publisher |
Elsevier |
series |
Annals of Hepatology |
issn |
1665-2681 |
publishDate |
2012-03-01 |
description |
Background. Approximately one-third of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection have persistently normal liver enzymes reflected by a normal serum alanine transaminase (ALT). Data with regards the efficacy and safety of treatment in patients chronically infected with Hepatitis C virus genotype 4 and normal serum ALT are limited. Aim. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin combination therapy in this population.Material and methods. Twenty-two patients with chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 4 infection were enrolled in an open-labeled, uncontrolled pilot study. All patients had biopsy proven chronic hepatitis and persistently normal serum ALT levels. Patients were treated with subcutaneous peginterferon alfa-2b at a dose of 1.5 μg/kg body weight once per week plus oral ribavirin (15 mg/kg/day) for 48 weeks. Patients were followed for 24 weeks post-treatment.Results. Sixteen patients out of twenty two completed the study (9 [40.9%] females, mean age 43.8 years). The ALT level were normal in all patients, with a mean of 38.6 U/L. Sustained viral response was achieved in 13 patients (59%), 4 patients (18.1%) were non-responders and 2 patients (9%) relapsed while 1 patient had a viral breakthrough during treatment. Two patients (9%) discontinued the treatment because of adverse events.Conclusions. Combination therapy of pegylated interferon-alpha2b and ribavirin is safe and resulted in a sustained viro-logical response in a significant number of patients with chronic Hepatitis C, genotype 4, and persistently normal serum ALT. |
topic |
Hepatitis C virus Genotype 4 Pegylated Interferon Normal transaminases |
url |
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1665268119310233 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT jaberalali pegylatedinterferonalpha2bplusribavirinforthetreatmentofchronichepatitiscvirusgenotype4infectioninpatientswithnormalserumalt AT iqbalsiddique pegylatedinterferonalpha2bplusribavirinforthetreatmentofchronichepatitiscvirusgenotype4infectioninpatientswithnormalserumalt AT roshvarghese pegylatedinterferonalpha2bplusribavirinforthetreatmentofchronichepatitiscvirusgenotype4infectioninpatientswithnormalserumalt AT fuadhasan pegylatedinterferonalpha2bplusribavirinforthetreatmentofchronichepatitiscvirusgenotype4infectioninpatientswithnormalserumalt |
_version_ |
1721388875133222912 |