Twenty four-week peginterferon plus ribavirin after interferon-β induction for genotype 1b chronic hepatitis C

Table 4 HCV-RNA response during treatment and outcome

Response outcome	IFN-β1n (%)1	HCV-RNA1	RVR n (%)	cEVR n (%)	ETR n (%)
Dosing duration of peginterferon: 1-24 wk (n = 61)
Yes	43 (70)	6.0 (5.1-7.1)b	15 (25)	36 (59)	39 (64)
SVR	21 (49)a	5.8 (5.1-6.9)	7 (47)	20 (56)c	21 (54)d
Non-SVR	22 (51)a	6.0 (5.1-7.1)	8 (53)	16 (44)c	18 (46)d
No	18 (30)	6.2 (5.5-7.2)b	46 (75)	25 (41)	22 (36)
SVR	0 (0)a	-	14 (30)	1 (4)c	0 (0)d
Non-SVR	18 (100)a	6.2 (5.5-7.2)	32 (70)	24 (96)c	22 (100)d
Dosing duration of peginterferon: 20-24 wk (n = 31)
Yes	25 (81)	6.0 (5.2-6.9)	11 (35)	24 (77)	24 (77)
SVR	17 (68)e	6.0 (5.2-6.9)	7 (64)	17 (71)f	17 (71)g
Non-SVR	8 (32)e	5.7 (5.2-6.6)	4 (36)	7 (29)f	7 (29)g
No	6 (19)	6.4 (5.5-6.6)	20 (65)	7 (23)	7 (23)
SVR	0 (0)e	-	10 (50)	0 (0)f	0 (0)g
Non-SVR	6 (100)e	6.4 (5.5-6.6)	10 (50)	7 (100)f	7 (100)g

¹Number (%) of patients that HCV-RNA decreased to below 3.3 Log IU/mL or turned negative at the end of IFN-β treatment, and median (range) of the HCV-RNA (Log IU/mL) before treatment among those patients. RVR: Rapid virologic response; cEVR: Complete early virologic response; ETR: End-of-treatment response.

^aP < 0.0001;

^bP < 0.05;

^cP < 0.001;

^dP< 0.0001;

^eP < 0.01;

^fP < 0.01;

^gP < 0.01; Statistical analysis:^{a, c, d, e, f, g}; Fisher’s exact test:^b; Analysis of variance.