TY - JOUR
T1 - Effectiveness of treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin in an unselected population of patients with chronic hepatitis C: a Danish nationwide cohort study
AU - Hansen, Nanna
AU - Obel, Niels
AU - Christensen, Peer
AU - Kjær, Mette Skalshøi
AU - Laursen, Alex Lund
AU - Krarup, Henrik Bygum
AU - Møller, Axel
AU - Schliehting, Poul
AU - Bukh, Jens
AU - Weis, Nina Margrethe
AU - Danish Database for Hepatitis B and C (DANHEP)- group
AU - Nørregaard, Peter
PY - 2011/6/21
Y1 - 2011/6/21
N2 - Background: The effect of peginterferon and ribavirin treatment on chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been established in several controlled clinical studies. However, the effectiveness of treatment and predictors of treatment success in routine clinical practice remains to be established. Our aim was to estimate the effectiveness of peginterferon and ribavirin treatment in unselected HCV patients handled in routine clinical practice. The endpoint was sustained virological response (SVR), determined by the absence of HCV RNA 24 weeks after the end of treatment.Methods: We determined the proportion of SVR in a nationwide, population-based cohort of 432 patients with chronic HCV infection who were starting treatment, and analyzed the impact of known covariates on SVR by using a logistic regression analysis.Results: The majority of treated patients had genotype 1 (133 patients) and genotype 2/3 (285 patients) infections, with 44% and 72%, respectively, obtaining SVR. Other than genotype, the predictors of SVR were age ≤ 45 years at the start of treatment, completion of unmodified treatment, the absence of cirrhosis and non-European origin.Conclusions: The effectiveness of peginterferon and ribavirin treatment for chronic hepatitis C in a routine clinical practice is comparable to that observed in controlled clinical trials, with a higher SVR rate in genotype 2 and 3 patients compared to genotype 1 patients. Our data further indicate that age at start of treatment is a strong predictor of SVR irrespective of HCV genotype, with patients 45 years or younger having a higher SVR rate.
AB - Background: The effect of peginterferon and ribavirin treatment on chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been established in several controlled clinical studies. However, the effectiveness of treatment and predictors of treatment success in routine clinical practice remains to be established. Our aim was to estimate the effectiveness of peginterferon and ribavirin treatment in unselected HCV patients handled in routine clinical practice. The endpoint was sustained virological response (SVR), determined by the absence of HCV RNA 24 weeks after the end of treatment.Methods: We determined the proportion of SVR in a nationwide, population-based cohort of 432 patients with chronic HCV infection who were starting treatment, and analyzed the impact of known covariates on SVR by using a logistic regression analysis.Results: The majority of treated patients had genotype 1 (133 patients) and genotype 2/3 (285 patients) infections, with 44% and 72%, respectively, obtaining SVR. Other than genotype, the predictors of SVR were age ≤ 45 years at the start of treatment, completion of unmodified treatment, the absence of cirrhosis and non-European origin.Conclusions: The effectiveness of peginterferon and ribavirin treatment for chronic hepatitis C in a routine clinical practice is comparable to that observed in controlled clinical trials, with a higher SVR rate in genotype 2 and 3 patients compared to genotype 1 patients. Our data further indicate that age at start of treatment is a strong predictor of SVR irrespective of HCV genotype, with patients 45 years or younger having a higher SVR rate.
U2 - 10.1186/1471-2334-11-177
DO - 10.1186/1471-2334-11-177
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 21693019
SN - 1471-2334
VL - 11
SP - 177
JO - B M C Infectious Diseases
JF - B M C Infectious Diseases
ER -
