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Semin Liver Dis 2004; 24: 19-24
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-832924
Copyright © 2004 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus: The First Decade

Thierry Poynard1
  • 1Service d'Hepato-gastroenterologie, Groupe Hospitalier Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris, France
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Publication History

Publication Date:
02 September 2004 (online)

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Interferon alfa therapy emerged as an early treatment option for patients with chronic hepatitis C. This therapy, however, fails to produce a sustained virological response in most patients. Various host and viral baseline characteristics, some of which include hepatitis C virus genotype, viral load, presence of cirrhosis, and patient age, affect the response to interferon therapy. The addition of ribavirin to interferon therapy significantly improves long-term virological response in treatment-naive patients and is also more effective than repeat interferon therapy is in patients who fail to initially achieve sustained virological or biochemical responses. However, ribavirin can induce reversible hemolytic anemia, and combination therapy with a ribavirin/interferon regimen is not tolerated as well as interferon is alone. Pegylated interferons used alone or in combination with ribavirin provide improved treatment options for different patient groups with chronic hepatitis C.

KEYWORDS

Interferon - ribavirin - hepatitis C - sustained virological response - fibrosis

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Thierry PoynardM.D. 

Hopital Pitie-Salpetriere, Service d'Hepatologie-Gastro

47/83 Boulevard de l'Hopital, Paris Cedex 13

75651, France

Email: tpoynard@teaser.fr