Asians with HCV Genotype 3 Do Not Respond as Well as Caucasians to Interferon-based
Therapy
Past studies have shown that people of African
descent do not respond as well as other racial/ethnic groups to interferon-based
therapy for chronic hepatitis C, but comparative
response has been less well studied in Asian patients.
As reported in the
February 2008 Journal of Viral Hepatitis, British researchers compared
the response to treatment of Asian and non-Asian patients infected with genotype
3 HCV.
Results
•
16 of 38 Asian patients (42.1%) achieved
sustained virological response (SVR), compared with 41 of 66 Caucasian patients
(62.1%) (P = 0.063).
•
At baseline, prior to treatment,
Asians had a higher histological fibrosis stage, indicating more advanced disease
at presentation (P = 0.0014).
•
In a univariate
analysis, the following baseline factors were significant predictors of failure
to achieve SVR:
•
However, none
of these factors remained statistically significant in a multivariate analysis,
possibly due to the relatively small number of patients studied.
Conclusion
"We
have observed an inferior response to treatment of Asian versus Caucasian patients,"
the study authors concluded. "The poor response probably reflects the more
advanced liver disease at baseline observed for Asian British patients."
2/19/08
Reference DA
Freshwater, K O'Donnell, DJ Mutimer. Inferior response of Asian vs non-Asian hepatitis
C genotype 3 infection to combination antiviral therapy. Journal of Viral Hepatitis
15(2): 115-119. February 2008.
