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10th Anniversary Conference Of The British HIV Association [BHIVA]15 – 17 April 2004, City Hall, Cardiff, UK |
[AUTHOR(S):] C Donnelly, S Hopkins, E Devitt, G Farrell, F Mulcahy, C Bergin
St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
BHIVA Conf 2004 Apr 15-17;10:O22
BACKGROUND: Response rates of up to 80% have been reported in patients mono-infected with hepatitis C genotypes 2 and 3 after 6 months of treatment with ribavirin and peg-IFN. Recent reports of significant relapse rates in HIV co-infected patients treated with 6 months of therapy have raised the question of extending therapy to 12 months in co-infected patients irrespective of genotype.
METHODS: We report efficacy data for all genotype 2 and 3 co-infected patients treated with ribavirin and peg-IFN-α2b for 6 months.
RESULTS: Of 25 patients who commenced treatment, 16 patients completed 6 months of therapy with ribavirin and IFN. 15/16 patients who had a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) at the end of treatment remained PCR-negative 6 months after treatment (sustained virological response, SVR). All patients continued the same dose of IFN and ribavirin and were supported with growth factors, intravenous immunoglobulin and blood products as necessary. One of 16 patients relapsed within 4 weeks of treatment cessation.
CONCLUSION: Six months of treatment for hepatitis C genotype 2 and 3 co-infected patients resulted in an SVR in 94%. All these patients had CD4 counts of >200 cells/µl, negative hepatitis C PCR results after 12 weeks on treatment, and had no dose reduction of their IFN or ribavirin.
PRESENTING AUTHOR: C Donnelly
040415
O22
Copyright © 2004 - British HIV Association (BHIVA) Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the BHIVA Organising Secretariat 1 Mountview Court, 310 Friern Barnet Lane, London N20 0LD