Ribavirin in combination with pegylated interferon alpha is the current standard treatment for chronic hepatitis C. Adequate exposure to ribavirin seems crucial for achieving the best virological response. However, anaemia is a frequent, dose-dependent limiting side effect of ribavirin use. Therefore, therapeutic drug monitoring of ribavirin plasma concentrations could be a useful tool for indi...

BACKGROUND The treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis is difficult due to high frequency of adverse effects. We retrospectively reviewed the case records of patients with HCV cirrhosis to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of pegylated (peg) interferon and ribavirin treatment in these patients. METHODS Medical records of 28 patients with HCV-related compensated cirrhosis w...

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to assess the frequency of thyroid dysfunction in response to combination of interferon and ribavirin therapy in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients and HCV outcome. STUDY DESIGN Descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY This study was conducted at Outpatient Department of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Hyderabad fr...

BACKGROUND We evaluated efficacy and safety of sofosbuvir and daclatasvir±ribavirin in liver transplant recipients with severe recurrent hepatitis C. METHODS Patients included in an international compassionate use programme for treatment with sofosbuvir and daclatasvir±ribavirin for 24 weeks were prospectively studied. Serum hepatitis C virus RNA was measured at treatment weeks 4, 12, and 24 ...

BACKGROUND & AIMS Improved therapeutic options for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are needed for patients who are poor candidates for treatment with current regimens due to anticipated intolerability or low likelihood of response. METHODS In this open-label, phase 2a study of Japanese patients with chronic HCV genotype 1b infection, 21 null responders (<2 log₁₀ HCV RNA reduction af...

In the United States, chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) affects an estimated 0.1-2% of the pediatric population, who are consequently at risk for major complications, including cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and death. The current standard of treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in children is pegylated-interferon-alpha (PEG-IFN) in combination with ribavirin. PEG-IFN/...

AIM The development of direct-acting oral agents has dramatically changed the treatment strategy of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Here we aimed to reveal the efficacy and safety of daclatasvir (DCV) and asunaprevir (ASV) for recurrent HCV genotype 1 infection after liver transplantation (LT). METHODS A retrospective study was undertaken on nine patients who underwent a 24-week DCV/ASV tr...

We investigated the relationship between serum ribavirin concentrations and clearance, as well as therapeutic efficacy and adverse reactions, in 97 Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infections treated with a 6-month course of high-dose alpha2b interferon (6 million units/day) plus ribavirin (600 to 800 mg/day) combination therapy. This randomized trial showed that the saturation ...

BACKGROUND Cure rates above 90% have been reported in most Phase III clinical trials using distinct all-oral direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in chronic hepatitis C patients. Preliminary results in real-world patients have confirmed this, although efficacy tends to be lower. METHODS All consecutive chronic hepatitis C patients treated with all-oral DAA regimens at three hepatitis clinics in Sp...