Peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin for hemophilic patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection in Taiwan

Autor: Jung-An Lin, Yeu-Chin Chen, Shin-Nan Cheng, Peng-Jen Chen, Heng-Cheng Chu, Tsai-Yuan Hsieh, Yu-Lueng Shih
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2014
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of the Formosan Medical Association, Vol 113, Iss 10, Pp 727-733 (2014)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 0929-6646
DOI: 10.1016/j.jfma.2013.10.010
Popis: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with hemophilia. However, the efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) for hemophilic patients with chronic HCV infection in Taiwan are still unknown. The aim of this study is to report the efficacy and safety of PEG-IFN plus RBV in a single center in Taiwan. Methods: In an open-label single-treatment one-arm cohort study, 12 hemophilic patients with elevated alanine aminotransferase level more than two times the upper limit of normal for more than 3 months received 180 μg/week of PEG-IFN-α-2a plus RBV 1000–1200 mg/day at a cut-off value of 75 kg. The duration of treatment was 48 weeks for patients with HCV Genotype 1/4 infection and 24 weeks for patients with HCV Genotype 2/3 infection. Efficacy of therapy was expressed as sustained virological response (SVR). Results: Eight patients achieved SVR (66.7%). The SVR rates were 57%, 100%, 100%, and 0% for patients with HCV Genotypes 1, 2, 3, and 4 infection, respectively. Adverse events (AEs) developed in 10 patients (83.3%). Severe thrombocytopenia developed in one patient. However, the patient did not suffer from severe bleeding. Conclusion: Our study shows that the SVR rates are similar in hemophilic and nonhemophilic patients with chronic HCV infection who receive PEG-IFN-α-2a plus RBV in Taiwan. The rate of AEs also resembled other studies in nonhemophilic patients in Taiwan. No patient suffered from severe bleeding. However, large-scale, well-conducted studies are still needed to verify the treatment efficacy and safety.
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