Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo (May 1999)

Chronic hepatitis C virus infections in Brazilian patients: association with genotypes, clinical parameters and response to long term alpha interferon therapy

  • Leda BASSIT,
  • Luiz C. DA SILVA,
  • Gabriela RIBEIRO-DOS-SANTOS,
  • Geert MAERTENS,
  • Flair J. CARRILHO,
  • Luis E. P. FONSECA,
  • Venâncio A. F. ALVES,
  • Luis C.C. GAYOTTO,
  • Analice N. PEREIRA,
  • Kioko TAKEI,
  • Dalton CHAMONE,
  • Amadeo SÁEZ-ALQUÉZAR

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 41, no. 3
pp. 183 – 189

Abstract

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The present study assessed the clinical significance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes and their influence on response to long term recombinant-interferon-alpha (r-IFN-a) therapy in Brazilian patients. One hundred and thirty samples from patients previously genotyped for the HCV and with histologically confirmed chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) were evaluated for clinical and epidemiological parameters (sex, age, time of HCV infection and transmission routes). No difference in disease activity, sex, age or mode and time of transmission were seen among patients infected with HCV types 1, 2 or 3. One hundred and thirteen of them were treated with 3 million units of r-IFN-a, 3 times a week for 12 months. Initial response (IR) was significantly better in patients with genotype 2 (100%) and 3 (46%) infections than in patients with genotype 1 (29%) (p a therapy in Brazilian patients with chronic HCV infection, as seen in other reports worldwide.

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