Chronic hepatitis C:Treat or wait? Medical decision making in clinical practice

AIM:To analyzes the decision whether patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are treated or not.METHODS:This prospective cohort study included 7658 untreated patients and 6341 patients receiving pegylated interferon α2 a/ribavirin,involving 434 physicians/institutions throughout Germany (377 in private practice and 57 in hospital settings).A structured questionnaire had to be answered prior to the treatment decision,which included demographic data,information about the personal life situation of the patients,anamnesis and symptomatology of hepatitis C,virological data,laboratory data and data on concomitant diseases.A second part of the study analyzes patients treated with pegylated interferon α2a.All questionnaires included reasons against treatment mentioned by the physician.RESULTS:Overall treatment uptake was 45%.By multivariate analysis,genotype 1/4/5/6,HCV-RNA ≤ 520 000 IU/mL,normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT),platelets ≤ 142 500/μL,age > 56 years,female gender,infection length > 12.5 years,concomitant diseases,human immunodeficiency virus co-infection,liver biopsy not performed,care in private practice,asymptomatic disease,and unemployment were factors associated with reduced treatment rate.Treatment and sustained viral response rates in migrants (1/3 of cohort) were higher than in German natives although 1/3 of migrants had language problems.Treatment rate and liver biopsy were higher in clinical settings when compared to private practice and were low when ALT and HCV-RNA were low.CONCLUSION:Some reasons against treatment were medically based whereas others were related to fears,socio-economical problems,and information deficits both on the side of physicians and patients.

Age-related differences in response to peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection

AIM: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of pegylated interferon alfa-2a and ribavirin therapy in elderly patients with chronic hepatitis C infection.METHODS: Patients characteristics, treatment results and safety profiles of 4859 patients with hepatitis c virus(HCV) infection receiving treatment with pegylatedinterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin were retrieved from a large ongoing German multicentre non-interventional study. Recommended treatment duration was 24 wk for GT 2 and GT 3 infection and 48 wk for GT 1 and GT 4 infection. Patients were stratified according to age(< 60 years vs ≥ 60 years). Because of limited numbers of liver biopsies for further assessment of liver fibrosis APRI(aspartate aminotransferase- platelet ratio index) was performed using pre-treatment laboratory data.RESULTS: Out of 4859 treated HCV patients 301(6.2%) were ≥ 60 years. There were more women(55.8% vs 34.2%, P < 0.001) and predominantly GT 1(81.4% vs 57.3%, P < 0.001) infected patients in the group of patients aged ≥ 60 years and they presented more frequently with metabolic(17.6% vs 4.5%, P < 0.001) and cardiovascular comorbidities(32.6% vs 6.7%, P < 0.001) and significant fibrosis and cirrhosis(F3/4 31.1% vs 14.0%, P = 0.0003). Frequency of dose reduction and treatment discontinuation were significantly higher in elderly patients(30.9% vs 13.7%, P < 0.001 and 47.8% vs 30.8%, P < 0.001). Main reason for treatment discontinuation was "virological non-response"(26.6% vs 13.6%). Sustained virological response(SVR) rates showed an age related difference in patients with genotype 1(23.7% vs 43.7%, P < 0.001) but not in genotype 2/3 infections(57.7% vs 64.6%, P = 0.341). By multivariate analysis, age and stage of liver disease were independent factors of SVR.CONCLUSION: Elderly HCV patients differ in clinical characteristics and treatment outcome from younger patients and demand special attention from their practitioner.