High Efficacy of Combination Therapy with Pegylated Interferon and Ribavirin in Hemophiliacs with Chronic Hepatitis C.

Pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) plus ribavirin is the standard treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis C. In a multicenter open trial, we assessed the efficacy and tolerability of this treatment in 78 HIV negative hemophiliacs (age: 20–64 years) with persistently high transaminase values. Sixty-four were naïve and 14 were relapsers to IFN monotherapy. Cirrhosis was clinically detected in 12 patients (15%). HCV genotype was 1 in 69%, 2a/c in 14%, 3a in 14% and 4 in 3%. Peg-IFN alpha-2b was given subcutaneously at doses of 1.5 mcg/Kg/week for 48 weeks in genotypes 1 and 4 and for 24 weeks in genotypes 2 and 3; oral ribavirin at 800–1200 mg/day based on body weight. Treatment was stopped in patients with polymerase chain reaction positive HCV-RNA at month 6.

Results: 11 patients (14%) withdrew for side effects (4) or non-compliance (7). Neutropenia (<500 cells/mmc), decompensated diabetes, ALT flares, and vomiting not responding to antiemetic drugs were reasons for treatment discontinuation. The median fall in hemoglobin levels was 3.1 g/dL. Weight loss (38%), fatigue (33%) and cephalalgia (15%) were frequent side effects. Thirty-two patients (41%) required dose reduction of ribavirin (23, 29%) or Peg-IFN (20, 26%). At the end of the 6-month follow-up, sustained virological response (SVR) was achieved in 43 patients (55%): 40/64 naïve (63%) and 3/14 relapsers (21%, p = 0.007). Five patients (6%), all relapsers to IFN monotherapy, had a virological breakthrough during treatment and 4 (5%) relapsed during the post-treatment follow-up period. SVR was obtained in 86% genotypes 2/3 and 43% genotypes 1/4 (p = 0.001). Predictors of SVR were evaluated by univariate analysis in the 64 naïve patients. SVR was significantly associated with HCV infection type 2 and 3 (86% vs 50% in HCV type 1 and 4; p = 0.008), absence of cirrhosis (97.5% vs 75% in non-responders; p = 0.02) and higher pre-treatment serum ALT levels (111 vs 75 IU/L in non-responders; p = 0.02). SVR rates did not differ in relation to patient’s age, pretreatment HCV viremia, median disease duration and compliance to full-dose treatment.

Conclusions: combination therapy with Peg-IFN plus ribavirin is the recommended therapeutic option for hemophiliacs with hepatitis C chronic infection. Relapsers to IFN monotherapy may benefit of re-treatment with Peg-IFN plus ribavirin achieving at least 20% SVR. Genotype 2 and 3 infection is the most significant predictor of SVR.