Abstract
Approximately 60% of all patients with chronic hepatitis C (C-HCV) treated with standard interferon (IFN) treatment, i.e. combination of recombinant a IFN and ribavirin (RBV), are refractory to treatment. Many factors should be responsible for HCV persistence after antiviral treatment. Beside the well-known importance of some factors such as viral heterogeneity, co-infections with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) or Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), presence or absence of fibrosis, age, sex, iron overload, a greater attention is being paid to the study of viral kinetics. Observing the trend of the slope of viral decline, already after a few hours antiviral administration, it is possibile to predict the sustained virologic response and therefore to optimize therapy. As for alternative therapeutics, re-treatment with IFN alone was excluded considering the very disappointing results, whereas it seemed that the combination IFN plus RBV could recover up to 30% of the patients. Later both randomized trials and two metanalyses have demonstrated that this option is disadvantageous from the cost-effectiveness point of view since 14 patients need to be treated to obtain one responsive. The treatment combining IFN plus RBV and amantadine seems more promising. Recently trials with pegylated IFN have started with the aim to increase the therapeutical response in this category of HCV-positive patients.
Keywords: ribavirin, hcv persistence, viral decline, rbv, amantadine
Current Pharmaceutical Design
Title: The Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C not Responding to Interferon
Volume: 8 Issue: 11
Author(s): Raffaele Cozzolongo, Renato Cupone and Onofrio G. Manghisi
Affiliation:
Keywords: ribavirin, hcv persistence, viral decline, rbv, amantadine
Abstract: Approximately 60% of all patients with chronic hepatitis C (C-HCV) treated with standard interferon (IFN) treatment, i.e. combination of recombinant a IFN and ribavirin (RBV), are refractory to treatment. Many factors should be responsible for HCV persistence after antiviral treatment. Beside the well-known importance of some factors such as viral heterogeneity, co-infections with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) or Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), presence or absence of fibrosis, age, sex, iron overload, a greater attention is being paid to the study of viral kinetics. Observing the trend of the slope of viral decline, already after a few hours antiviral administration, it is possibile to predict the sustained virologic response and therefore to optimize therapy. As for alternative therapeutics, re-treatment with IFN alone was excluded considering the very disappointing results, whereas it seemed that the combination IFN plus RBV could recover up to 30% of the patients. Later both randomized trials and two metanalyses have demonstrated that this option is disadvantageous from the cost-effectiveness point of view since 14 patients need to be treated to obtain one responsive. The treatment combining IFN plus RBV and amantadine seems more promising. Recently trials with pegylated IFN have started with the aim to increase the therapeutical response in this category of HCV-positive patients.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Cozzolongo Raffaele, Cupone Renato and Manghisi G. Onofrio, The Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C not Responding to Interferon, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2002; 8 (11) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612024606992
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612024606992 |
Print ISSN 1381-6128 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4286 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
"Tuberculosis Prevention, Diagnosis and Drug Discovery"
The Nobel Prize-winning discoveries of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and streptomycin have enabled an appropriate diagnosis and an effective treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Since then, many newer diagnosis methods and drugs have been saving millions of lives. Despite advances in the past, TB is still a leading cause of infectious disease mortality ...read more
Current Pharmaceutical challenges in the treatment and diagnosis of neurological dysfunctions
Neurological dysfunctions (MND, ALS, MS, PD, AD, HD, ALS, Autism, OCD etc..) present significant challenges in both diagnosis and treatment, often necessitating innovative approaches and therapeutic interventions. This thematic issue aims to explore the current pharmaceutical landscape surrounding neurological disorders, shedding light on the challenges faced by researchers, clinicians, and ...read more
Emerging and re-emerging diseases
Faced with a possible endemic situation of COVID-19, the world has experienced two important phenomena, the emergence of new infectious diseases and/or the resurgence of previously eradicated infectious diseases. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of such diseases has also undergone changes. This context, in turn, may have a strong relationship with ...read more
Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Treatment: Standard of Care and Recent Advances
In this thematic issue, we aim to provide a standard of care of the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. The editor will invite authors from different countries who will write review articles of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. The Diagnosis, Staging, Surgical Treatment, Non-Surgical Treatment all ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
The Role of Antioxidants in the Prevention of Cadmium-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction
Current Pharmaceutical Design Biologics and the Cardiovascular System: A Double-Edged Sword
Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Current and Emerging Therapeutic Approaches in HCV-Related Mixed Cryoglobulinemia
Current Medicinal Chemistry Update on Anti-TNF-Alpha Treatment in Rheumatic Diseases
Current Drug Therapy Could Targeting HMGB1 be Useful for the Clinical Management of COVID-19 Infection?
Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening Genetic Variations of the Hemostatic System as Risk Factors for Venous and Arterial Thrombotic Disease
Current Genomics Recent Advance in Aminopeptidase N (APN/CD13) Inhibitor Research
Current Medicinal Chemistry The Relevance of Supplemental Vitamin D in Malignancies
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Systems Biology of HBOC-Induced Vasoconstriction
Current Drug Discovery Technologies Ginger and Heart Health: From Mechanisms to Therapeutics
Current Molecular Pharmacology Mechanisms Explaining the Influence of Subclinical Hypothyroidism on the Onset and Progression of Chronic Heart Failure
Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets Pulmonary Hemorrhage in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews Cellulitis-Like Sweet Syndrome Preceding Multiple Myeloma. A Case Report
Clinical Immunology, Endocrine & Metabolic Drugs (Discontinued) Biologic Therapy in Immune Mediated Inflammatory Disease: Basic Science and Clinical Concepts
Current Drug Safety Methylglyoxal and Advanced Glycation Endproducts: New Therapeutic Horizons?
Recent Patents on Cardiovascular Drug Discovery Recent Insights into COVID-19 in Children and Clinical Recommendations
Current Pediatric Reviews Adenosine A<sub>3</sub> Receptor: A promising therapeutic target in cardiovascular disease
Current Cardiology Reviews Modern Treatment of Infection and Ischaemia to Reduce Major Amputation in the Diabetic Foot
Current Pharmaceutical Design Skeletal Involvement in Antiphospholipid Syndrome
Current Rheumatology Reviews The Use of Cyclosporine in Respiratory Diseases
Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews