Maintenance Interferon Therapy in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients Who Failed Initial Antiviral Therapy: A Meta-analysis

Overview

Journal Medicine (Baltimore)

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2019 May 15

PMID 31083223

Citations 2

Authors

Hung-Chang Hung

Hsien-Hua Liao

Shiuan-Chih Chen

Shih-Ming Tsao

Yuan-Ti Lee

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of pegylated interferon maintenance therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C who failed initial antiviral therapy.

Methods: This is a meta-analysis of 6 randomized controlled trials that met the eligibility criteria. In all, 2438 chronic hepatitis C patients who failed to achieve sustained virologic response after initial treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin (antiviral therapy nonresponders or relapsers) were enrolled; 1237 patients received maintenance therapy (Maintenance group) and 1201 received no treatment (Observation group).

Results: The pooled analyses found that patients in the Maintenance group had a significantly higher rate of normal alanine aminotransferase than did patients in the Observation group (pooled odds ratio [OR] 4.436, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.225-16.064, P = .023), but there was no significant difference between the 2 groups in the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (pooled OR 0.872, 95% CI 0.501-1.519, P = .630), or the mortality rate (pooled OR 1.564, 95% CI 0.807-3.032, P = .185).

Conclusions: Interferon-based maintenance therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C who failed initial antiviral therapy improved liver inflammation as indicated by blood chemistry (alanine aminotransferase).

Citing Articles

Novel Pegylated Interferon for the Treatment of Chronic Viral Hepatitis.

Huang Y, Qin A, Tsai C, Chen P Viruses. 2022; 14(6).

PMID: 35746606 PMC: 9230558. DOI: 10.3390/v14061128.

Treatment of chronic hepatitis C regiments containing with recombinant interferon in patients with sustained virological response predicts risk of hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis.

Li C, Tsao S, Liao H, Chen S, Lee Y Medicine (Baltimore). 2020; 99(40):e22435.

PMID: 33019424 PMC: 7535677. DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000022435.

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