Interferon alpha plus ribavirin combination treatment of Japanese chronic hepatitis C patients with HCV genotype 2: A project of the Kyushu University Liver Disease Study Group

Figure 1 The sustained virological response (SVR) rate and undetectable hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA rates during the treatment of 173 patients, classified by continuation and discontinuation of interferon and ribavirin combination treatment. Group A patients (n = 93) who well tolerated the 24-week treatment with IFN and ribavirin in combination without any reduction in the dose of either drug; Group B patients (n = 48) received the 24-week combination treatment, but needed a dose reduction of IFN or ribavirin, or both; Group C patients (n = 11) discontinued the ribavirin treatment, but continued the full 24 weeks of IFN treatment; Group D patients (n = 21) did not complete the 24 weeks of treatment because of adverse effects (n = 17) or dropped out (n = 4). ¹P = 0.0001; ²P < 0.0001; ³P = 0.0031; ⁴P = 0.0003; ⁵P = 0.0001; ⁶P = 0.0002; ⁷P = 0.0003; ⁸P = 0.0002; ⁹P = 0.124; ¹⁰P  = 0.0182.

Figure 2 Relationship between the sustained virological response rates and the length of ribavirin treatment period of the 173 studied patients.