Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA determination after two weeks of induction interferon treatment is an accurate predictor of nonresponse - Comparison of two treatment schedules

The aim of this study was to analyze of HCV kinetics during interferon trea tment administered daily or three times weekly. Seventy-seven naive patient s were randomized to two treatment courses starting with four weeks of high -dose interferon administered daily or three times weekly. Twenty-two patie nts (28.6%) achieved end-of-treatment response and nine (11.7%, four of who m received daily induction) sustained response. The initial decline of vira l load was sharper in patients receiving daily induction, but the rates of early RNA clearance were independent of treatment schedule, being higher in patients with genotype non-1. Detectable HCV RNA during treatment predicte d nonresponse more significantly than high pretreatment viral load or genot ype 1. HCV RNA at week 2 was the best predictor (100% sensitivity in patien ts receiving daily induction). In conclusion, daily induction increased the HCV decline slope, but not the rate of virological response. HCV RNA at we ek 2 reliably identified nonresponders.