Prospective study of short-term peginterferon-α-2a monotherapy in patients who had a virological response at 2 weeks after initiation of interferon therapy.

Background and Aims: Long-term interferon (IFN) therapy is effective in eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV). However, it carries the risk of adverse effects and reduced quality of life. To assess whether short-term IFN therapy effectively eliminates HCV, we performed a prospective pilot study of pegylated (peg)IFN-α-2a therapy for 8 or 24 weeks. Methods: After excluding patients with high titers of genotype-1, 55 HCV patients received pegIFN-α-2a. Patients who became negative for HCV-RNA at week 2 were allocated to either an 8-week ( n = 19) or 24-week ( n = 15) course of IFN. We evaluated the efficacy of and tolerance to IFN therapy. Results: The sustained virological response rate was excellent in the two groups (8 weeks, 89.5% [17/19]; 24 weeks, 100% [15/15], respectively,). IFN dose reduction was required in one patient of the 8-week group, but in six patients of the 24-week group ( P = 0.028). Treatment was completed by all patients of the 8-week group, but discontinued in five patients of the 24-week group ( P = 0.011). Conclusions: The 8-week IFN therapy is more tolerable than the 24-week therapy and had similar outcomes. Excluding the patients with high titers of genotype-1, we recommend switching to an 8-week course of pegIFN-α monotherapy once patients show an ultra rapid virological response at week 2 from the start of IFN therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]