Peginterferon Alfa-2a Plus Ribavirin for the Treatment of Dual Chronic Infection With Hepatitis B and C Viruses

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Gastroenterology. 2008 Oct 29. [Epub ahead of print]

Peginterferon Alfa-2a Plus Ribavirin for the Treatment of Dual Chronic Infection

With Hepatitis B and C Viruses.

Liu CJ, Chuang WL, Lee CM, Yu ML, Lu SN, Wu SS, Liao LY, Chen CL, Kuo HT, Chao

YC, Tung SY, Yang SS, Kao JH, Liu CH, Su WW, Lin CL, Jeng YM, Chen PJ, Chen DS.

National Taiwan University College of Medicine and National Taiwan University

Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Dual chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and

hepatitis B virus (HBV) is common in areas endemic for either virus. Combination

therapy with ribavirin and pegylated interferon (peginterferon) is the standard

of care for patients with HCV monoinfection. We investigated the effects of

combination therapy in patients infected with both HBV and HCV (genotypes 1, 2,

or 3). METHODS: The study included 321 Taiwanese patients with active HCV

infection; 161 also tested positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and

160 were HBsAg-negative (controls). Patients with HCV genotype 1 infection

received peginterferon alfa-2a (180 mug) weekly for 48 weeks and ribavirin

(1000-1200 mg) daily. Patients with HCV genotypes 2 or 3 received peginterferon

alfa-2a weekly for 24 weeks and ribavirin (800 mg) daily. At 24 weeks

posttreatment, patient samples were examined for a sustained virologic response

(SVR) against HCV (serum HCV levels decreased to