Clinical characteristics of null responders to Peg-IFNα2b/ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C

Table 1 The characteristics of patients with chronic hepatitis C treated by pegylated interferon/ribavirin therapy

Characteristics
Number of patients	n	142
Gender	Male; Female	80; 62
Mean age (range)	Years	56.0 ± 10.0 (19-71)
Body weight	kg	63.3 ± 10.9 (40-98)
Body mass index	kg/m2	25.3 ± 3.0
ALT	U/L	85.3 ± 64.5
HCV RNA titer	KIU/mL	1927 ± 1415
Previous treatment	Naïve/Retreatment	97/45
Histology
Fibrosis	F0/F1/F2/F3/F4	4/30/28/21/5
Activity	A0/A1/A2/A3	0/32/54/2

ALT: alanine aminotransferase; HCV: hepatitis C virus.

Table 2 Comparison of the clinical characteristics between responders and null responders

		Responders	Null responders	P
Number of patients	n	123	17	NS
Gender	Male; Female	70; 53	10; 7	NS
Mean age (range)	Years	56.3 ± 10.2	57.2 ± 7.5	NS
Body weight	kg	62.6 ± 11.0	62.3 ± 12.0	NS
Body mass index	kg/m2	23.4 ± 3.1	24.2 ± 2.9	NS
Previous treatment	Naïve/Retreatment	84/41	13/4	NS
ALT	U/L	88.5 ± 66.2	68.4 ± 45.0	NS
HCV RNA titer
Pre-treatment	KIU/mL	1849 ± 1362	2217 ± 1584	NS
1 wk	KIU/mL	267 ± 338	1173 ± 838	P < 0.01
4 wk	KIU/mL	50 ± 104	472 ± 427	P < 0.01
Fibrosis	F0-1/F2-4	27/44	7/10	NS

ALT: alanine aminotransferase; HCV: hepatitis C virus.