High-dose interferon-α2b induction therapy in combination with ribavirin for treatment of chronic hepatitis C in patients with non-response or relapse after interferon-α monotherapy

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of patients

	All patients	Group A(non-responder)	Group B(relapser)
Male (%)	70	80.5	59
Mean age	40.4	39.6	41.8
Genotype 1 (%)	70	75	57
Serum ALT (U/L)	70 ± 2	67 ± 6	75 ± 10
Viral load1 (%)
< 2 Mio copies/mL	37	39	35
> 2 Mio copies/mL	63	61	65
HAI score2 (%)
HAI score (0-1)	72	68	77
HAI score (3-4)	28	32	23

¹Quantitative HCV-PCR was measured in 48 patients pre-treatment. ²Liver biopsies of 50 patients (22 relapsers/28 non-responders) were analyzed.

Table 2 Response rates in relation to an early viral response in former non-responders after IFN-α monotherapy

Treatment week	“Fast responder” (HCV RNA negative at wk 12, n = 31)	“Slow responder” (HCV RNA negative after wk 12, n = 9)	P
48 (ETR, %)	25 patients PCR negative (81)	3 patients PCR negative (33)	0.0121
Follow-up (SR, %)	20 patients PCR negative (65)	0 patient PCR negative (0)	0.0011

¹Fisher’s exact test.