Outcomes of chronic hepatitis C therapy in patients treated in community versus academic centres in Canada: final results of APPROACH (a prospective study of peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin at academic and community centres in Canada).

Background: In patients chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), it is not established whether viral outcomes or health-related quality of life (HRQoL) differ between individuals treated at academic or community centres.

Methods: In the present observational study, adults with chronic HCV were treated with peginterferon alfa-2a 180 ìg⁄week plus ribavirin at 45 Canadian centres (16 academic, 29 community). The primary efficacy end point was sustained virological response (SVR).

The use of budesonide in the treatment of autoimmune hepatitis in Canada.

Background: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is successfully treated with prednisone and/or azathioprine immunosuppressive therapy in 70% to 80% of patients. The remaining patients are intolerant or refractory to these standard medications. Budesonide, a synthetic glucocorticoid, undergoes a high degree of first-pass metabolism, reducing its systemic bioavailability, and has a 15-fold greater affinity for the glucocorticoid receptor than prednisolone.