Background: The efficacy of combination therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin for recurrent hepatitis C genotype 1 after liver transplantation is limited. In this study, we designed an individualized treatment regimen with pegylated interferon and ribavirin for recurrent hepatitis C based on individual viral responses.
Methods: Thirty-four patients with recurrent hepatitis C genotype 1b after living-donor liver transplantation received combination therapy with pegylated interferon α-2b and ribavirin. Treatment was continued for an additional 12 months after serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA became undetectable.
Results: Of the 34 patients, 18 became negative for serum HCV RNA within 12 months (range, 1.2-9.9 months; median, 4.0 months). The treatment for the 18 patients was individualized by adding a further 12 months of treatment after the disappearance of serum HCV RNA, resulting in treatment durations of 13.2 to 21.9 months (median, 16.0 months). Notably, 17 (94%) of the 18 patients who received the individualized extended treatment achieved sustained virologic response (SVR), resulting in a 50% SVR rate. Six patients (18%) discontinued the treatment, but none of the 18 patients who received the extended protocol withdrew from the study.
Conclusions: Individualized extension of combination therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin for recurrent hepatitis C after liver transplantation resulted in a high SVR rate and good tolerability.