Individualizing HCV treatment with peginterferon and ribavirin: what needs to be done?

Berg, T. , von Wagner, M. , Nasser, S. , Sarrazin, C. , Heintges, T. , Gerlach, T. et al. (2006) Extended treatment duration for hepatitis C virus type 1: comparing 48 vs 72 weeks of peginterferon-alfa-2a plus ribavirin . Gastroenterology 130: 1086-1097.

Bressler, B. , Guindi, M. , Tomlinson, G. and Heathcote, J. (2003) High body mass index is an independent risk factor for nonresponse to antiviral treatment in chronic hepatitis C. Hepatology 38: 639-644.

Charlton, M. , Pockros, P. and Harrison, S. (2006) Impact of obesity on treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Hepatology 43: 1177-1186.

Crippin, J.S. , McCashland, T. , Terrault, N. , Sheiner, P. and Charlton, M.R. (2002) A pilot study of the tolerability and efficacy of antiviral therapy in hepatitis C virus-infected patients awaiting liver transplantation. Liver Transpl 8: 350-355.

Drusano, G.L. and Preston, S.L. (2004) A 48-week duration of therapy with pegylated interferon alpha 2b plus ribavirin may be too short to maximize long-term response among patients infected with genotype-1 hepatitis C virus. J Infect Dis 189: 964-970.

Everson, G.T. , Trotter, J. , Forman, L. , Kugelmas, M. , Halprin, A. , Fey, B. et al. (2005) Treatment of advanced hepatitis C with a low accelerating dosage regimen (LADR) of antiviral therapy. Hepatology 42: 255-262.

Ferenci, P. , Laferl, H. , Scherzer, T.M. , Maieron, A. , Gshwantler, M. , Brunner, H. et al. (2006) Customizing treatment with peginterferon alfa-2a (40 KD)(Pegasys) plus ribavirin (Copegus) in patients with HCV genotype 1 or 4 infection. Interim results of a prospective, randomized trial. Hepatology 48: 336A.

Ferenci, P. , Fried, M. , Shiffman, M. , Smith, C. , Marinos, G. , Goncales, F. et al. (2005) Predicting sustained virological response in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with peginterferon alfa-2a (40 KD)/ribavirin . J Hepatol 43: 425-433.

Fried, M. , Hadzyannis, S. , Shiffman, M. , Messinger, D. and Zeuzem, S. (2008a) Rapid virological response is a more important predictor of sustained virological response (SVR) than genotype in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection. J Hepatol 48: S5.

Fried, M.W. , Jensen, D.M. , Rodriguez-Torres, M. , Nyberg, L.M. , Di Bisceglie, A.M. , Morgan, T.R. et al. (2008b) Improved outcomes in patients with hepatitis C with difficult-to-treat characteristics: Randomized study of higher doses of peginterferon α-2a and ribavirin. Hepatology 48: p1033-1043.

Fried, M.W. , Shiffman, M.L. , Reddy, K.R. , Smith, C. , Marinos, G. , Goncales, Jr. F.L. et al. (2002) Combination of peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. N Engl J Med 347: 975-982.

Hadziyannis, S.J. , Sette, Jr. H. , Morgan, T.R. , Balan, V. , Diago, M. , Marcellin, P. et al. (2004) Peginterferon-alpha2a and ribavirin combination therapy in chronic hepatitis C: a randomized study of treatment duration and ribavirin dose. Ann Intern Med 140: 346-355.

Hickman, I.J. , Jonsson, J.R. , Prins, J.B. , Ash, S. , Purdie, D.M. , Clouston, A.D. et al. (2004) Modest weight loss and physical activity in overweight patients with chronic liver disease results in sustained improvements in alanine aminotransferase, fasting insulin, and quality of life. Gut 53: 413-419.

Hickman, I.J. , Clouston, A.D. , MacDonald, G.A. , Purdie, D.M. , Prins, J.B. , Ash, S. et al. (2002) Effect of weight reduction on liver histology and biochemistry in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Gut 5: 89-94.

Jacobson, I. , Brown, R. , Freichlich, B. , Afdal, N. , Kwo, P. , Santoro, J. et al. (2007) Peginterferon alfa-2b and weight-based or flat-dose ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C patients: a randomized trial. Hepatology 46: 982-990.

Jensen, D.M. and Marcellin, P. (2007) Pegylated interferon alfa-2a (40KD) plus ribavirin (RBV) in prior non-responders to pegylated interferon alfa-2b (12KD)/RBV: final efficacy and safety outcomes of the REPEAT study. Hepatology 46: 291A.

Jensen, D.M. , Morgan, T.R. , Marcellin, P. , Pockros, P.J. , Reddy, K.R. , Hadzyannis, S. et al. (2006) Early Identification of HCV genotype 1 patients responding to 24 weeks peginterferon α-2a (40kd)/ribavirin therapy, Hepatology 43: 954-960. [Erratum, Hepatology 43: 1410].

Kamal, S.M. , El Kamary, S. , Shardell, M. , Hashem, M. , Ahmed, I. , Muhammadi, M. et al. (2007) Peginterferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin in patients with genotype 4 chronic hepatitis C: the role of rapid and early virologic response. Hepatology 46: 1732-1740.

Lagging, M. , Langeland, N. , Pedersen, C. , Foörkkilaö, M. , Buhl, M.R. , Mørch, K. et al. (2008) Randomized comparison of 12 or 24 weeks of peginterferon alpha-2a and ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 2/3 infection. Hepatology 47: 1837-1845.

Lindahl, K. , Stahle, L. , Bruchfeld, A. and Schvarcz, R. (2005) High-dose ribavirin in combination with standard dose peginterferon for treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C. Hepatology 41: 275-279.

Mangia, A. , Minerva, N. , Bacca, D. , Cozzolongo, R. , Ricci, G. , Carretta, V. et al. (2008) Individualized treatment duration for hepatitis C genotype 1 patients: A randomized controlled trial. Hepatology 47: 43-50.

Mangia, A. , Santoro, R. , Minerva, N. , Ricci, G. , Carretta, V. , Persico, M. et al. (2005) Peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin for 12 vs 24 weeks in HCV genotype 2 or 3. N Engl J Med 352: 2609-2617.

Manns, M.P. , McHutchison, J.G. , Gordon, S.C. , Rustgi, V.K. , Shiffman, M. , Reindollar, R. et al. (2001) Peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin compared with interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin for initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C: a randomised trial. Lancet 358: 958-965.

Negro, F. (2006) Insulin resistance and HCV: Will new knowledge modify clinical management? J Hepatol 45: 514-519.

Patton, H.M. , Patel, K. , Behling, C. , Bylund, D. , Blatt, L.M. , Vallee, M. et al. (2004) The impact of steatosis on disease progression and early and sustained treatment response in chronic hepatitis C patients . J Hepatol 40: 484-490.

Pearlman, B.L. , Ehleben, C. and Saifee, S. (2007) Treatment extension to 72 weeks of peginterferon and ribavirin in hepatitis C genotype 1-infected slow responders. Hepatology 46: 1688-1694.

Sànchez-Tapias, J.M. , Diago, M. , Escartin, P. , Enriquez, J. , Romero-Gomez, M. , Bàrcena, R. et al. (2006) Peginterferon-alfa2a plus ribavirin for 48 versus 72 weeks in patients with detectable hepatitis C virus RNA at week 4 of treatment. Gastroenterology 131: 451-460.

Shiffman, M. , Chung, R. and Hamzeh, F. (2008) Time to HCV RNA undetectability supersedes baseline factors in predicting SVR in patients with HCV genotype 1. J Hepatol 48: S313.

Shiffman, M.L. , Suter, F. , Bacon, B.R. , Nelson, D. , Harley, H. , Sola, R. et al. (2007) Peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin for 16 or 24 weeks in HCV genotype 2 or 3. N Engl J Med 357: 124-134.

Shiratori, Y. , Ito, Y. , Yokosuka, O. , Imazeki, F. , Nakata, R. , Tanaka, N. et al. (2005) Antiviral therapy for cirrhotic hepatitis C: association with reduced hepatocellular carcinoma development and improved survival. Ann Intern Med 142: 105-114.

Strader, D. , Wright, T. , Thomas, D. and Seeff, L. (2004) Diagnosis, management and treatment of hepatitis C. Hepatology 39: 1147-1171.

von Wagner, M. , Huber, M. , Berg, T. , Hinrichsen, H. , Rasenack, J. , Heintges, T. et al. (2005) Peginterferon-alpha-2a (40KD) and ribavirin for 16 or 24 weeks in patients with genotype 2 or 3 chronic hepatitis C. Gastroenterology 129: 522-527.

Westin, J. , Lagging, M. , Dhillon, A.P. , Norkans, G. , Romero, A. , Pawletsky, J.M. et al. (2007) Impact of hepatic steatosis on viral kinetics and treatment outcome during antiviral treatment of chronic HCV infection . J Viral Hepatitis 14: 29-35.

Yu, M.L. , Dai, C.Y. , Huang, J.F. , Chiu, C.F. , Yang, Y.H. , Hou, N.J. et al. (2008) Rapid virological response and treatment duration for chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 patients: a randomized trial. Hepatology 47: 1884-1893.

Zeuzem, S. , Buti, M. , Ferenci, P. , Sperl, J. , Horsmans, Y. , Cianciara, J. et al. (2006) Efficacy of 24 weeks treatment with peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C infected with genotype 1 and low pretreatment viremia. J Hepatol 44: 97-103.

Zeuzem, S. , Hultcrantz, R. , Bourliere, M. , Goeser, T. , Marcellin, P. , Sanchez-Tapias, J. et al. (2004) Peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin for treatment of chronic hepatitis C in previously untreated patients infected with HCV genotypes 2 or 3. J Hepatol 40: 993-999.