C型慢性肝炎に対するPEG-IFNα-2b/リバビリン併用療法での治療開始8週目陽性かつ12週目陰性例における72週延長投与の有用性

抄録

We investigated whether prolongation of therapy with peginterferon and ribavirin improves sustained virological response (SVR) rates in a chronic hepatitis C population that were HCV RNA positive at week 8 but HCV RNA negative at week 12. Patients, who were treated with peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin and who were HCV RNA positive at week 8 but negative at week 12, were randomly assigned 1: 1 at week 24 to complete a total 48 or 72 weeks of therapy. The on-treatment virological response and SVR were assessed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. SVR rates in the 48-week and 72-week groups were 42.9% and 78.9%, respectively (p<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analyses identified platelet counts and 72 weeks of treatment as independent predictors of SVR. Prolongation of treatment to 72 weeks improves SVR rates in patients with a slow virologic response (undetectable HCV RNA levels between weeks 8 and 12), largely due a reduction in post-treatment relapse.