Project description:Hepatitis C virus genotype 2 (HCV-2) slow responders poorly respond to 24 weeks of peginterferon (Peg-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV). We evaluated the efficacy of extended 48-week regimen and the role of interleukin-28B (IL-28B) genotype in this clinical setting. Treatment-naïve HCV-2 patients not achieving rapid virologic response (RVR) by Peg-IFN alfa-2a 180 μg/week plus weight-based RBV (1,000-1,200 mg/day, cutoff body weight of 75 kg) were randomly assigned to receive a total duration of 48 (n = 94) or 24 (n = 93) weeks of therapy. The primary endpoint was sustained virologic response (SVR). Baseline patient characteristics to predict SVR were analyzed. Patients receiving 48 weeks of treatment had a greater SVR rate than those receiving 24 weeks of treatment (70.2% versus 46.2%, P = 0.001). Compared to patients treated for 24 weeks, the SVR rate in those treated for 48 weeks increased by 10.9% [95% CI: -5.9% to 27.7%] and 65.6% [95% CI: 44.5% to 86.7%] if they had IL-28B rs8099917 TT genotype, and GT/GG genotype, respectively (interaction P = 0.002). In conclusion, 48-week treatment with Peg-IFN plus weight-based RBV provides a greater SVR rate than 24-week treatment in treatment-naïve HCV-2 patients with unfavorable IL-28B genotypes who fail to achieve RVR.
Project description:Rapid virologic response (RVR) and complete early virologic response (cEVR) are associated with sustained virologic response to hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy. We retrospectively examined baseline and on-treatment factors associated with RVR (HCV RNA undetectable at week 4) and cEVR (HCV RNA undetectable at week 12, regardless of week 4 response). The analysis comprised 1550 HCV genotype-1 patients from five clinical trials, including three enriched with difficult-to-treat populations, randomized to peginterferon alfa-2a 180 microg/week plus ribavirin 1000-1200 mg/day. Overall, 15.6% achieved RVR and 54.0% achieved cEVR. Baseline factors predictive of RVR were serum HCV RNA <or= 400,000 IU/mL (OR: 7.34; P < 0.0001), alanine aminotransferase >3 x ULN (OR: 2.01; P < 0.0001), non-cirrhotic status (OR: 1.92; P = 0.0087), age <or= 40 years (OR: 1.56; P = 0.0085), white non-Latino ethnicity (OR: 1.41; P = 0.0666) and individual study (P < 0.0001). These factors plus body mass index <or= 27 kg/m(2) were predictive of cEVR. After adjusting for these factors, mean on-treatment ribavirin dose >13 mg/kg/day was predictive of RVR (OR: 1.69; P = 0.005) and cEVR (OR: 1.24; P = 0.09), whereas peginterferon alfa-2a dose reduction was not. Greater decreases in haematologic parameters were observed in patients who achieved cEVR compared with patients who did not. In conclusion, several baseline and on-treatment factors were associated with RVR and cEVR to peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin in difficult-to-treat HCV genotype-1 patients, providing important prognostic information on the antiviral response in a patient cohort that is reflective of the general chronic hepatitis C population.
Project description:OBJECTIVES:Peginterferon and ribavirin treatment is less effective for hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infections in African Americans (AA) compared with Caucasian Americans (CA). Host genetic variability near the interleukin-28B (IL28B) gene locus is partly responsible. We investigated the relationship between ribavirin drug exposure and week 24 and 72 (sustained virologic response, SVR) responses (undetected serum HCV RNA) in 71 AA and 74 CA with HCV genotype 1 who received >90% of the prescribed peginterferon and weight-based ribavirin (1,000 or 1,200?mg per day) from week 1 to 24. METHODS:Ribavirin plasma levels were measured at weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24; ribavirin area under the concentration vs. time curve (AUC) was calculated using the linear trapezoidal rule. RESULTS:Compared with CA, AA had lower week 24 (WK24VR) (57.8 vs. 78.1; P<0.05) and week 72 (SVR) (36.6% vs 54.8%; P<0.05) response rates. AA also had significantly lower ribavirin exposure (AUC) from week 1 to 12 (P<0.05). Ribavirin exposures ?4,065 and ?4,480?ng/ml/day in the first week (AUC(0-7)) were thresholds for WK24VR and SVR in receiver-operating characteristic curve analyses. AA were less likely to have a threshold ribavirin AUC(0-7) level than CA (P<0.05). There were no significant racial differences in WK24VR (AA: 77 vs. CA: 84%) and SVR (AA: 52 vs. CA: 60%) rates in patients who met the ribavirin AUC(0-7) thresholds. Ribavirin AUC(0-7) predicted WK24VR and SVR independently of IL28B single-nucleotide polymorphism rs12979860 genotype. Yet, achieving threshold AUC(0-7) levels increased response rates primarily in AA with the less favorable non-C/C genotypes. CONCLUSIONS:Standard weight-based dosing leads to suboptimal ribavirin exposure in AA and contributes to the racial disparity in peginterferon and ribavirin treatment efficacy for HCV genotype 1.
Project description:Following interferon-based therapy for chronic hepatitis C, the negativity of hepatitis C virus RNA is essential to achieve viral clearance at the end of treatment. We report a case of clearance of chronic hepatitis C virus infection following early discontinuation (at 6 weeks) of peginterferon plus ribavirin therapy, without negativity for hepatitis C virus RNA during the treatment period. The patient was a 76-year-old Japanese male infected with hepatitis C virus genotype 1b and TT of IL28B rs8099917. Hepatitis C virus RNA remained positive at persistently low levels for more than 2 months after the cessation of therapy and became negative at 7 months after the discontinuation of therapy. Spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C virus RNA can occur following antiviral failure in patients with persistently low viral loads, and virological follow-up is therefore necessary in chronic hepatitis C virus infection, even after antiviral failure.
Project description:The efficacy and safety of the boceprevir (BOC)-containing triple therapy in Taiwanese treatment-experienced patients remains elusive. After 4 weeks of peginterferon/ribavirin lead-in therapy, patients with cirrhosis or previous null-response received triple therapy for 44 weeks; whereas others received 32 weeks of triple therapy followed by 12 weeks of peginterferon/ribavirin therapy. Patients with HCV RNA > 100 IU/mL at week 12 or with detectable HCV RNA at week 24 of treatment were viewed as futile. A total of 123 patients received treatment. The rates of sustained virological response (SVR) and relapse were 66.7% and 8.9%, respectively by using intention-to-treat analysis. Multivariate analysis revealed that factors associated with SVR included HCV-1b (odds ratio [OR]/ 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 19.23/1.76-525.15, P = 0.01), BOC adherence (7.69/1.55-48.78, P = 0.01), serum albumin (OR/CI:6.25/1.14-40.07, P = 0.03) levels and HCV RNA levels (OR/CI:0.34/0.12-0.79, P = 0.01). Twenty-six (21.1%) patients experienced severe adverse events (SAEs). Multivariate analysis revealed that APRI > 1.5 was the single factor associated with occurring SAEs (OR/CI: 3.77/ 0.97-14.98, P = 0.05). Merging the cut-off values of HCV RNA > 7 log IU/mL at baseline and HCV RNA > 6 log IU/mL at week 4 provided the earliest and best combing viral kinetics in predicting week 12/24 futility with the PPV of 100% and accuracy of 93.5%. HCV-1 treatment experienced Taiwanese patients treated with boceprevir-containing triple therapy in real world had comparable efficacy and safety profiles with those reported in clinical trials. Early viral kinetics before week 4 of treatment highly predicted futility at week 12 or 24 of treatment.
Project description:BackgroundThe current stopping rule for peginterferon/ribavirin therapy in hepatitis C virus genotype-1 (HCV-1) patients is based on an early virological response (EVR, defined as >2 log(10) viral reduction at treatment week 12). We aimed to explore rapid stopping rules at week 4.MethodsWe randomly allocated 528 HCV-1 patients into training and validation sets (at a 1?2 ratio). The interleukin-28B rs8099917 genotypes and on-treatment virological responses were evaluated to determine the negative predictive value (NPV) for achieving a sustained virological response (SVR, defined as undetectable HCV RNA 24 weeks after end-of-treatment). The study was approved by the ethics committees of the participating hospitals. All of the patients gave written informed consent before enrollment.ResultsA poor week 4 response (W4R), defined as a HCV RNA reduction of <1 log(10) IU/mL at week 4 or a week 4 HCV RNA>10,000 IU/mL with interleukin-28B non-TT genotype, had the highest NPV (95%). In the complete sample, poor W4R could identify 43.4% (59/136) of the non-responders, with an NPV of 95% and a false negative rate of only 0.8% (3/396). The multivariate analysis revealed that a poor W4R was the most important negative predictor (odds ratio/95% confidence intervals: 49.01/13.70-175.37), followed by the lack of an EVR. In addition to HCV RNA<1 log(10) IU/mL reduction, using the criteria of HCV RNA>10,000 IU/mL/non-TT genotype helped identifying an additional one-third of non-SVR patients at W4.Using the strategy of sequential rapid stopping rule strategy could identify 53.7% (73/136) of the non-responders (43.4% at week 4 and an addition 11.3% at week 12), as compared to 40.4% for the classical week-12 early stopping rule.ConclusionsSequential rapid stopping rules using on-treatment virological responses and interleukin-28B genotype can rapidly identify additional peginterferon/ribavirin non-responders.
Project description:AimTo evaluate pre-treatment factors associated with sustained virological response (SVR) in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 3 treated with peginterferon and ribavirin (RBV).MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed treatment naive, mono-infected HCV genotype 3 patients treated with peginterferon and RBV. Exclusion criteria included presence of other liver disease, alcohol consumption and African American or Asian ethnicity. The variables collected and compared between patients who achieved an SVR and patients who did not were as follows: gender, age, fibrosis stage, diabetes, body mass index, steatosis, INFL3 polymorphism, pre-treatment HCV-RNA, type of peginterferon, RBV dose and adherence.ResultsA total of 107 patients treated between June, 2004 and March, 2013 were included. Mean treatment duration was 25.1 (± 1.8) wk. Overall, 58% (62/107) of the patients achieved an SVR and 42% (45/107) did not. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, pre-treatment HCV-RNA ≥ 600000 UI/mL (OR = 0.375, 95%CI: 0.153-0.919, P = 0.032) and advanced fibrosis (OR = 0.278, 95%CI: 0.113-0.684, P = 0.005) were significantly associated with low SVR rates. In patients with pre-treatment HCV-RNA ≥ 600000 UI/mL and advanced fibrosis, the probability of achieving an SVR was 29% (95%CI: 13.1-45.2). In patients with pre-treatment HCV-RNA < 600000 UI/mL and mild to moderate fibrosis, the probability of achieving an SVR was 81% (95%CI: 68.8-93.4).ConclusionIn patients with HCV genotype 3 infections the presence of advance fibrosis and high pre-treatment viral load might be associated with poor response to peginterferon plus RBV. These patients could benefit the most from new direct antiviral agents-based regimes.
Project description:AIM:To clarify the association of interleukin-28B (IL28B) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with hepatitis C virus (HCV) viremia changes for assessment of interferon (IFN) response. METHODS:A cohort of 118 Caucasian treatment-naïve HCV-G1 infected patients, treated with pegylated-IFN alpha 2a or 2b associated with ribavirin (53 responders, 65 non-responders) during the period 2010-2012, were genotyped for IL28B SNPs rs12979860 C>T and rs8099917 T>G. Genotyping was performed by real-time allelic discrimination assay. Serum HCV RNA levels were assayed at 2, 4, 12, 24 and 48 wk during therapy. Correlation between IL28B genotypes and serum HCV RNA kinetics was investigated. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of null-response. RESULTS:Twenty-six out of 118 patients (22%) had no HCV RNA decline ? 1 log IU/mL at therapy week 4 (null-responders). IL28B genotype was rs8099917 (G)/rs1297860 in 21/26 (80%) of null-responder patients. Using multivariate analysis, it was shown that the presence of the rs8099917 G allele was the best predictor of null-response (OR = 7.9, 95%CI: 1.99-31.18). The presence of at least one favorable genotype showed a positive predictive value of above 90% for HCV RNA reduction ? log at week 4. Analysis of the HCV RNA kinetics during 12 wk of therapy in patients with IL28B rs12979860 CT heterozygosis (n = 73), according to their rs8099917 status, showed that the viremia reduction was significantly different in patients carrying the rs8099917 G allele compared to those with favorable homozygosis. CONCLUSION:Our findings emphasize the association of the IL28B rs8099917 G allele with HCV. Genotyping for both IL28B SNPs is useful in clinical practice for thorough patient risk stratification based on IFN responsiveness.
Project description:The impact of ribavirin (RBV) dosage on sustained virologic response (SVR) rates remains elusive in hepatitis C virus genotype 2 (HCV-2) rapid responders receiving 16 weeks of peginterferon (Peg-IFN) plus RBV. Treatment-naïve HCV-2 patients with rapid virologic response (RVR) received Peg-IFN alfa-2a 180??g/week plus weight-based RBV (1,000 or 1,200?mg/day; cut-off body weight: 75?kg) for 6 weeks, and then randomly received Peg-IFN alfa-2a 180??g/week plus weight-based (1,000 or 1,200?mg/day; n?=?247) or flat-dose (800?mg/day; n?=?246) RBV for additional 10 weeks. The primary endpoint was SVR24. Patients receiving weight-based and flat-dose RBV therapies had comparable SVR24 rates (93.5% versus 91.9%, P?=?0.49). The risk differences (RDs) of SVR24 receiving weight-based and flat-dose RBV arms were 7.1% [95% CI: 0.7% to 13.6%] in males, and -5.8% [95% CI: -12.1% to 0.5%] in females (interaction P?=?0.01). The SVR24 rate was higher in males receiving ?13?mg/kg/day than those receiving <13?mg/kg/day (96.3% versus 85.1%, P?=?0.001). In conclusion, Peg-IFN alfa-2a plus weight-based or flat-dose RBV for 16 weeks provides comparable SVR24 rates in treatment-naïve HCV-2 rapid responders. However, males should receive weight-based RBV to achieve a high SVR24 rate.