Peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin for hemophilic patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection in Taiwan

Background/purpose: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with hemophilia. However, the efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) for hemophilic patients with chronic HCV infection in Taiwan are still unknown. The aim of this study is to report the efficacy and safety of PEG-IFN plus RBV in a single center in Taiwan. Methods: In an open-label single-treatment one-arm cohort study, 12 hemophilic patients with elevated alanine aminotransferase level more than two times the upper limit of normal for more than 3 months received 180μg/week of PEG-IFN-α-2a plus RBV 1000-1200mg/day at a cut-off value of 75kg. The duration of treatment was 48 weeks for patients with HCV Genotype 1/4 infection and 24 weeks for patients with HCV Genotype 2/3 infection. Efficacy of therapy was expressed as sustained virological response (SVR). Results: Eight patients achieved SVR (66.7%). The SVR rates were 57%, 100%, 100%, and 0% for patients with HCV Genotypes 1, 2, 3, and 4 infection, respectively. Adverse events (AEs) developed in 10 patients (83.3%). Severe thrombocytopenia developed in one patient. However, the patient did not suffer from severe bleeding. Conclusion: Our study shows that the SVR rates are similar in hemophilic and nonhemophilic patients with chronic HCV infection who receive PEG-IFN-α-2a plus RBV in Taiwan. The rate of AEs also resembled other studies in nonhemophilic patients in Taiwan. No patient suffered from severe bleeding. However, large-scale, well-conducted studies are still needed to verify the treatment efficacy and safety. © 2013.