ABSTRACT
Interferon alfa is the only effective treatment for chronic hepatitis C. Forty percent of patients have an initial response to this therapy but most subsequently relapse. The effect of interferon alone was compared with that of interferon plus oral ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C genotype N. A total of 47 patients with chronic hepatitis C doses were assigned to receive standard doses of recombinant interferon alfa - 2b and 45 patients were assigned to receive interferon alpa-26 with ribavirin [1000 to 1200 mg orally per day, depending on body weight] for six months. At the completion of treatment, HCV-RNA was undetected in d 9 of the 45 patients who were treated with interferon and ribavirin and in 11 of the 47 patients who were treated with interferon alone [42.2% As compared with. 23.4%, p<0.0751. Serum HCV-RNA remained undetected 24 weeks after the end of treatment in 12 patients [26.65%] in the combination therapy group, but only 3 patients [6.3%] in the interferon group [p>0.010].Sustained normalization of serum alanine aminotransferase [ALT] and histologic improvement were highly correlated with virologic response. Combined therapy caused a predictable fall in hemoglobin concentrations but otherwise had a safety profile similar to that of interferon alone. In conclusion, in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype W therapy with interferon and oral ribavirin resulted in higher rates of sustained virologic, biochemical response than treatment with interferon alone