Factors predicting interferon treatment response in patients with chronic hepatitis C: Late viral clearance does not preclude a sustained response

OBJECTIVES: Because of the suboptimal efficacy, cost, and adverse effects o f interferon in chronic hepatitis C (HCV), predictors have been sought to d etect patients with a good treatment response. Also, markers for determinin g a poor response early in the course of therapy, such as the lack of early viral clearance, have been proposed. METHODS: Ninety-seven patients with chronic hepatitis C were enrolled to re ceive leukocyte alpha -interferon according to a stepped-care management pr otocol. The final virological treatment response was evaluated in 74 patien ts after a 6-month post-treatment follow-up. The relationship be tween pret reatment and during-treatment variables and the long-term response was asse ssed. RESULTS: Non-1 viral genotype, higher pretreatment ALT levels, and lower ga mma -glutamyl transferase (GGT)/ALT ratios and GGT as well as younger age w ere significantly associated with a sustained response; a trend was also de tected for lower serum ferritin levels. Normalization of ALT by 3 months wa s also a significant predictor of a long-term response. Of the 27 patients carrying the HCV genotype 3a, seven (26%) were still HCV RNA positive at 6 months. Of these patients, however, five (19%) still achieved a sustained v irological response after treatment for up to 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to some previous reports, our results suggest that a late viral clearance after 6 months of interferon monotherapy may not pr eclude a favorable longterm response after a 12-month treatment, especially in patients carrying a non-1 HCV genotype. A low pretreatment GGT/ALT rati o is a predictor of a good treatment response. (Am J Gastroenterol 2001;96: 1237-1242. (C) 2001 by Am. Coll. of Gastroenterology).