Relationship between the hepatitis C viral load and the serum interferon concentration during the first week of peginterferon-alpha-2b-ribavirin combination therapy
Résumé
In chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, the current standard of care (combination therapy with pegylated alpha interferon (PEG-IFNα) and ribavirin) is only effective in around 50% of cases. The aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between the HCV load and the PEG-IFN concentration during the first week of treatment. Fifteen treatment-naive patients with chronic hepatitis C infection (genotypes 1, 2, 3 and 4) underwent PEG-IFNα-2b/ribavirin combination therapy. Blood samples were collected before the first injection (T0) and then at different time points until the next injection a week later. The PEG-IFN concentration and the HCV load were assayed. The serum interferon concentration peaked two days after the first injection (mean value for the study population; Tmax=40.9 hours; Cmax=490 pg/ml) and a trough in viral load was seen at day three. The PEG-IFNα-2b concentration decreased from day 2 to day 7, enabling a viral rebound in all patients. The change in viral load between day 0 and day 3 differed significantly according to whether the patients were responders at week 12 (∆logD0/D3=2.729±1.419 Log10 IU/mL) or not (∆logD0/D3=1.102±0.472 Log10 IU/mL). Our results emphasize the potential clinical importance of achieving viral decay immediately after initiation of interferon-ribavirin combination therapy.
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