RESEARCH - Treatment with peg-interferon alfa-2b and ribavirin of hepatitis C virus-associated mixed cryoglobulinemia

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J Hepatol. 2005 May;42(5):632-8.

Treatment with peg-interferon alfa-2b and ribavirin of hepatitis C

virus-associated mixed cryoglobulinemia: a pilot study.

Mazzaro C, Zorat F, Caizzi M, Donada C, Di Gennaro G, Maso LD, Carniello G,

Virgolini L, Tirelli U, Pozzato G.

Department of Internal Medicine, Pordenone General Hospital, Via Montereale

24, 33170 Pordenone (PN), Italy. mazzaro@...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study is to verify the efficacy and safety

of peg-interferon alfa-2b in combination with ribavirin for initial

treatment of HCV-associated mixed cryoglobulinemia. METHODS: Eighteen

patients (7 women and 11 men) affected by mixed cryoglobulinemia were

included in the study and treated with peg-interferon alfa-2b 1.0 microg/kg

once a week plus ribavirin (1000 mg daily) for 48 weeks, regardless of the

HCV genotype. RESULTS: At the end of the treatment HCV-RNA became

undetectable in 15 patients (83%) and most patients improved clinically. One

subject suspended treatment at 13th week due to depression. A large fraction

of the patients (8 cases: 44%) relapsed both virologically and clinically a

few weeks after the end of therapy. At the end of follow-up, only eight

patients (44%) obtained a sustained virological response. CONCLUSIONS:

Peg-interferon alfa-2b in combination with ribavirin seems safe and useful

for patients affected by mixed cryoglobulinemia, but not as effective as in

patients with HCV-positive chronic hepatitis without cryoglobulinemia.

PMID: 15826710

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstra\

ct & list_uids=15826710 & itool=iconabstr & query_hl=119 & itool=pubmed_DocSum

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