Combination Therapy with Interferon alpha-2b and Ribavirin of Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C - Results of Czech Multicentre trial
Abstract
Objective:To evaluate combination treatment with interferon (IFN) alpha-2b and ribavirin in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C. To compare whether the therapeutic results differ between naive patients relapsers after IFN monotherapy and non-responders to IFN monotherapy.
To evaluate the frequency of adverse therapeutic events such as anaemia, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia and the reversibility of changes of haematological parameters. To evaluate in what proportion of patients it was necessary to reduce the original IFN and/or ribavirin doses because of adverse events.
Method: Retrospective evaluation of results and safety of treatment of 173 patients with chronic hepatitis C, incl.41 IFN naive patients, 47 relapsers after IFN monotherapy and 85 non-responders IFN monotherapy. During treatment a significant decline of the haemoglobin level occurred as well as of the number of leucocytes and thrombocytes (p 0.001) as compared with baseline values), but before the end of the investigation all values reached normal levels.
On account of leukopenia and/or neutropenia the dose of IFN alpha-2b had to be reduced in 8 % patients, on account of serious anaemia the ribavirin dose was reduced in 21 % patients. Conclusion: Combination treatment with IFN alpha-2b and ribavirin is effective in a significant proportion of patients with chronic hepatitis C.
Treatment is always associated with anaemia, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia which are however completely reversible after termination of treatment.