Abstract

Objective: In this study, treatment results of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 followed for five years were evaluated retrospectively. 

Methods: Between January 2004 and January 2010, 245 patients treated for CHC were evaluated. Of these, 98 treatment naive patients, who did not skip both pegylated interferon (PEG IFN) and ribavirin doses for more than three consecutive weeks, due to side effects or other reasons, who completed the treatment course, attended regular follow up appointments and with complete follow up data, were included. HCV RNA-positive patients with chronic liver disease established by liver biopsy were diagnosed as CHC, and started on PEG IFN and ribavirin. Patients, whose end of treatment responses (ETR) were obtained without a sustained virological response (SVR), received a second course of treatment with PEG IFN-α 2b plus ribavirin if they had been treated with PEG IFN-α 2a previously, or vice versa. 

Results: Of the 98 patients, 58 received PEG IFN-α 2a (Group 1) and 31 received PEG IFN-α 2b (Group 2) initially. Nine patients began with one type of PEG IFN and continued with the other type due to intolerance (Group 3). By the end of 3 months, no statistically significant difference was noted between Groups 1 and 2 regarding early virological response (EVR) (p=0.12,  p=0.08, p=0.04). There was a statistically significant difference between these groups regarding SVR (p=0.007, p=0.85, p<0.001). Compared to the first two groups, the Group 3 results were significantly different for both EVR and SVR, indicating treatment failure. No statistically significant difference was noted between groups after the second course of treatment. Regardless of the type of IFN used initially, the SVR rate was 48% (47/98) for the first course and 58% (11/19) for the second course of treatment.

Conclusions: A SVR may be obtained after a second course of treatment in almost 50% of the CHC patients without a SVR after the first course. Therefore, extension of the treatment from 48 weeks to 72 weeks may be considered in patients in whom an ETR was obtained. 

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