BACKGROUND/AIMS: Various predictive factors for peginterferon alpha and ribavirin therapy in chronic hepatitis C have been reported, but the effect of adherence to therapy has not been established. We investigated how adherence affects the sustained virologic response (SVR). METHODS: We analyzed 92 chronic hepatitis C patients receiving peginterferon alpha and ribavirin combination therapy. Patients were first identified as having either genotype 1 or genotype non-1 infection and then categorized into three groups according to their adherence to the treatment protocol: (1) patients who received >/=80% of the recommended dosage of both peginterferon alpha and ribavirin for > or =80% of the intended duration of therapy, (2) patients who received <60% of the recommended dosage of both peginterferon alpha and ribavirin for <60% of the intended duration of therapy, and (3) patients who were not included in either group 1 or 2. RESULTS: The rates of early virologic response, end of treatment response, and SVR differed significantly with the degree of adherence to the treatment. The SVRs of genotype 1 patients were 86.7%, 26.7%, and 66.7% in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (P=0.003), and those of genotype non-1 were 100%, 16.7%, and 88.9%, respectively (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to therapy is a key factor in achieving an SVR. Supportive strategies to improve adherence will increase overall SVR rates.
CITATION STYLE
Jeong, S. W., Kim, J. D., Woo, H. Y., You, C. R., Lee, S. W., Song, M. J., … Yoon, S. K. (2009). Impact of adherence to peginterferon-ribavirin combination therapy in chronic hepatitis C patients on achieving a sustained virologic response. The Korean Journal of Hepatology, 15(3), 338–349. https://doi.org/10.3350/kjhep.2009.15.3.338
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