Safety and Efficacy of Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a for the Treatment of Hepatitis C in Patients with Major Thalassemia
Journal Title: Iranian Journal of Blood and Cancer - Year 2009, Vol 1, Issue 4
Abstract
Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the most common transfusion transmitted disease in poly-transfused patients worldwide. In this study we aimed to evaluate the effects of pegylated interferon alfa-2a (PEG-IFN A-2a) in reducing serum ALT and eradicating serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in HCV infected polytransfused thalassemic patients. Materials and Methods: A cohort of 51 HCV-RNA positive thalassemic patients were enrolled to our study and received 180 µg PEG-IFN A-2a once-weekly for 48 weeks. The primary end point was sustained virological response (SVR). The secondary outcome was normalization of ALT. Patient safety was assured by monthly, and if needed, weekly laboratory assessment and visits. Results: Of 52 patients, 42 participants completed the treatment schedule. A sustained virological response (SVR) was attained in 22/51 (43%) cases. Among non-responders or relapsers to previous HCV antiviral therapy, 9/27 (33%) attained an SVR. Five patients died during treatment and 3 subjects discontinued the therapy because of adverse effects. Adverse events were generally mild, and laboratory abnormalities were rare. Conclusion: A course of 48-week PEG-IFN A-2a monotherapy is effective in eradicating HCV-RNA during treatment. But about one third of thalassemic patients would relapse within 6 months of treatment schedule completion, in whom combination therapy is needed.
Authors and Affiliations
Seyed-Moayed Alavian, Hassan Abolghasemi, Seyyed Mohammad Miri, Maryam Keshvari, Pegah Karimi Elizee, Bita Behnava, Seyed Vahid Tabatabaei, Bashir Hajibeigi, Kamran Bagheri Lankarani
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP382882
- DOI -
- Views 78
- Downloads 0
Effect of Pamidronate on Osteoporosis in Patients with β-Thalassemia Major
Background: β-thalassemia major is a hereditary life threatening anemia which requires regular blood transfusion. Clinical symptoms of the disease are growth retardation, pallor, jaundice and skeletal alternations. The v...
ALK- negative Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma of Bone
This article has no abstract.
Multiple Myeloma Presenting as Respiratory Stridor
Extramedullary plasmacytoma occurs in 18% of patients with multiple myeloma. Laryngeal involvement in multiple myeloma is rare, and only a few cases have been reported. We present a case of a 44-year-old women with multi...
Flow Cytometric Measurement of CD41/CD61, CD42b Platelet Receptors and Platelet Factor 3 Activity in Lyophilized Infusible Platelet Membrane Preparation
Background: The short life time of human platelet units has led to a chronic shortage of fresh platelets in blood transfusion centers. Many approaches have been investigated experimentally to produce new hemostatically a...
Prevalence of Alloantibodies and Autoantibodies in Transfusion Dependent Thalassemia Patients
Background: The development of anti-red blood cell alloantibodies remains a major problem in transfusion of blood in thalassemia major patients. Also, Autoantibodies can result in clinical hemolysis and difficulty in cro...