Hepatitis C Virus RNA Levels During Initial Induction or Standard Interferon Therapy: Influence of Continued Treatment on Sustained Response

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA kinetics were studied at baseline weeks 4, 8 and 12 during interferon-α (IFN) monotherapy in 65 patients (mean age 39 y, range 19-66 y) with chronic HCV infection. IFN treatment was given either as initial induction (n=34) or as standard dosing 3 times a week (n=31). Patients with genotypes 2 and 3 had a significantly steeper decline in HCV RNA levels than patients with genotype 1 at weeks 4, 8 and 12 (p<0.001 at all points measured). The decline in viral load was more pronounced in patients with induction therapy than with standard therapy at weeks 4, 8 and 12 (p<0.02, 0.054 and 0.01, respectively). Patients with a sustained viral response had a 3-log decline in viral levels at week 4, with few exceptions. Two patients with non-response at week 12 (1 each with genotype 1 and non-1) responded after supplementation with ribavirin.