Very early viral kinetics on interferon treatment in chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 4 infection.

Background: Interferon (IFN)-resistant hepatitis C virus strains limit efficacy of antiviral combination therapy in patients infected with genotypes 1 and 4. A single test dose of IFN was useful to identify non-responders to IFN-alpha2b/ribavirin (RBV) or likely non-responders to pegylated (PEG)-IFN-alpha2a/RBV therapy in genotype 1 patients. Our aim was to investigate this approach in genotype 4 patients.

CD4+ T cell responses in patients with chronic hepatitis C undergoing peginterferon/ribavirin therapy correlate with faster, but not sustained, viral clearance.

T cell immune responses may be important for the elimination of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection during antiviral treatment. In the present study, the kinetics of T cell responses to HCV antigens (NS3-4 and core) were prospectively assessed and were correlated with virologic outcome in 31 patients with chronic HCV infection undergoing peginterferon- alpha 2a/ribavirin therapy. NS3-4--directed T helper cell type 1 (Th1) responses were detected in 77% of patients with a significant decline in viremia at treatment week 4 but were not detected not in those with a slower viral decline.

Standard interferon-alpha in combination with ribavirin for hepatitis C patients with advanced liver disease and thrombocytopenia.

Background And Aim: Patients with advanced liver disease due to thrombocytopenia and chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are difficult to treat in view of concerns about the efficacy and safety of interferon-based therapy. Nevertheless, antiviral therapy might have a substantial benefit in these patients as it potentially minimizes disease progression and prevents recurrence after liver transplantation. We evaluated the safety, efficacy and tolerability of standard interferon-alpha in an accelerating dose regimen in combination with ribavirin in patients with HCV-induced liver cirrhosis and thrombocytopenia.

Prospective study of viral clearance and CD4(+) T-cell response in acute hepatitis C primary infection and reinfection.

Background: The outcome of acute hepatitis C is determined by early host-virus interactions, particularly involving the antiviral T-cell response.

Objectives: To identify early prognostic markers of spontaneous resolution of acute hepatitis C by performing a comprehensive analysis of viral and immunological factors during the natural course of acute HCV infection and reinfection.

Study Design: 20 patients were investigated prospectively during acute HC or confirmed reinfection and 18 of them during follow up after spontaneous or treatment-induced elimination of the virus and resolution of the disease.

Tongue and skin hyperpigmentation during PEG-interferon-alpha/ribavirin therapy in dark-skinned non-Caucasian patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Various skin disorders may occur during antiviral therapy with interferon (IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) for chronic hepatitis C. This article describes to our knowledge the first report of lingual hyperpigmentation during pegylated (PEG)-IFN/RBV combination therapy in five dark-skinned hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients. Lingual pigmentation during antiviral therapy was not associated with age, gender, HCV genotype, doses of RBV, or duration of the treatment or treatment outcome.