抄録
BACKGROUND/AIM: Nearly 20 % of patients with genotype 2 chronic hepatitis C (CHC) do not achieve a sustained virologic response (SVR), even if pegylated-IFN and ribavirin are administered for 24 weeks. The aim of this study was to determine the factors predicting the efficacy of interferon (IFN) -based therapy for patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty-seven adults with CHC (M/F: 57/30) due to infection with HCV genotype 2a or 2b were studied. Thirty-six patients were treated with IFN-alpha alone, 30 patients received consensus IFN alone, and 21 were given IFN-alpha 2b plus ribavirin. In all three regimens, IFN was administered daily for 2 weeks, followed by the same dose thrice weekly for a median of 22 weeks (range: 10-46 weeks). A SVR was defined as undetectable (<50 IU/ml) serum HCV- RNA at 24-week follow-up. Serum cytokines and standard liver function tests were measured before starting therapy. We retrospectively investigated the pretreatment parameters influencing SVR by logistic regression analysis.
RESULTS: SVR was achieved in 63 patients. The log-10 transformed serum level of HCV-RNA (log HCV-RNA) and log IL-18/IL-10 were factors with an independent influence on SVR on multivariate regression analysis.
CONCLUSION: This study provided the first evidence that the baseline serum IL-18/IL-10 ratio levels is an independent prognostic indicator for SVR in patients with CHC genotype 2.
