Evaluation of Loading Dose of IFN in HCV Patients: Prospective, Uncontrolled Study
Current treatment regimens with either long-term interferon (IFN) monotherapy or interferon-ribavirin combination achieve a sustained response of 6-21%. To improve the efficacy of IFN several strategies have been devised, including the use of higher doses of IFN, prolonged courses or pegylated IFN. Some recent reports have suggested that daily administration of IFN in the early phase of therapy (induction dose) may be more efficacious than the classic thrice-weekly regimen. There is no available data about the combination of induction dose regimen of IFN and ribavirin. Our objective was to evaluate prospectively the efficacy and safety of a 5mu IFN induction dose in combination with ribavirin in HCV patients. End treatment response (ETR) was 36.7% of the 30 patients included in the study, while 81.1% ofresponders could remain viral negative for one year after discontinuation of treatment (sustained response). Though responders had higher pretreatment levels of viraemia and ALT, it was still without statistical signficance. Also, there was no statistical histological difference between both groups. There was a significant correlation between response rate and post induction viraemia level (p < 0.05) but no similar relation to post-induction ALT level. We conclude that induction dose regimen seems to have no effect on ETR but may improve sustained response. Also, post-induction viral load level is a good predictor for both ET and sustained responses.