RESUMO
BACKGROUND/AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of treatment with pegylated interferon α-2a (Peg-INFα-2a) versus Peg-INFα-2b, plus ribavirin, in inducing rapid virological response (RVR), early virological response (EVR), end of treatment response (ETR), and sustained virological response (SVR) in chronic hepatitis C. METHODS: We reviewed 78 chronic hepatitis C patients with genotype 1 treated with 48 weeks of Peg-INFα-2a (n=35) and Peg-INFα-2b (n=43), plus ribavirin, between 2008 and 2011. The ETR and SVR of the patients were ascertained by assessing hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA levels at the end of the treatment and after 24 weeks of follow-up after the cessation of treatment. RESULTS: The RVR (31 vs. 26%), EVR (83 vs. 81%), ETR (74 vs. 63%), and SVR (46 vs. 51%) rates were similar for Peg-INFα-2a and Peg-INFα-2b groups. The overall SVR rate for these standard therapies was 48.7%. Multivariate analysis showed that HCV viral load was significantly associated with RVR, EVR, ETR, and SVR inversely (r=-0.25, P<0.05, and r=-0.34, r=-0.53, r=-0.42, P<0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: In patients infected with HCV genotype 1, the rates of SVR did not differ significantly between the two available Peg-INF-ribavirin regimens, and HCV viral load was important in RVR, EVR, ETR, and SVR.
