Interferon retreatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C. A long-term follow-up

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We retrospectively evaluated the long-term efficacy of int erferon retreatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C, who did not have a sustained response to a Ist cycle of treatment. METHODOLOGY: Sixty-six patients, 43 non-responder and 23 relapser to alpha interferon treatment, were retreated with alpha interferon, 6 MU thrice wee kly for 12 months. Response was defined as negative HCV viremia. Responders underwent long-term follow-up (27-43 months). RESULTS: The response rates were 14% and 35% at the end of retreatment, 7% and 22% at 6 months, and 2% and 13% at long-term follow-up in non-responder s and relapsers respectively. The outcome of retreatment was not statistica lly influenced by age, cirrhosis, viral genotype, dose and duration of prev ious treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Interferon retreatment, for sustained viral eradication, is no t effective in nonresponders and useful in few relapsers. Whereas, retreatm ent could prove effective in slowing down the activity of the disease and r educing the incidence of hepatocarcinoma, since some relapses occur late du ring the follow-up. Therefore, retreatment should be confined to relapsers wi th contraindications to new more efficient therapeutic strategies.