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Sustained virological response to pegylated interferon and ribavirin in patients with genotype 3 HCV cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND
Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) virus infection in patients with cirrhosis is difficult to treat. There is limited data on the outcome of treatment for genotype 3 HCV infection with cirrhosis.


AIMS
To determine sustained virological response (SVR) and its predictive factors in patients with cirrhosis due to genotype 3 HCV infection treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin (RBV).


METHODS
Consecutive patients with compensated cirrhosis due to HCV genotype 3 with positive HCV RNA treated with peg-IFN and RBV in our Gastroenterology Clinics during November 2005 to December 2006 were included in this study. Cirrhosis was diagnosed on the basis of liver biopsy and/or biochemical testing and ultrasound of abdomen. Primary end point of treatment was SVR.


RESULTS
Of 66 patients, 32 (48.5%) were male. The mean age was 46.2 +/- 10.1 years; there were 61 (92.4%) patients with Child's A cirrhosis followed by 5 (7.6%) with Child's B type. 33 (50%) patients received pegylated interferon alfa-2a (180 microg/wk) with ribavirin and 33 (50%) received pegylated interferon alfa 2b (1 microg/kg/week) with ribavirin. EVR was achieved in 44 (66.7%), and ETR in 46 (69.7%); overall SVR was achieved in 38 (57.6%) patients. Factors predictive of SVR were age (p value = 0.03), treatment naïve status (p value = 0.04) and EVR (p value < 0.001). Five patients were unable to complete the treatment due to side effects or cytopenias.


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment of patients with HCV genotype 3, compensated cirrhosis, with pegylated interferon and ribavirin is effective and well tolerated.