@article {17430,
	title = {A randomized trial to assess the efficacy of interferon-alpha daily in combination with ribavirin in the treatment of naive patients with chronic hepatitis C},
	journal = {J Viral HepatJ Viral HepatJ Viral Hepat},
	volume = {10},
	number = {5},
	year = {2003},
	note = {Tassopoulos, N CKetikoglou, ITsantoulas, DRaptopoulou, MHatzis, GVafiadis, ISidiropoulos, LKanatakis, SAnagnostopoulos, GSypsa, VHatzakis, AengClinical TrialRandomized Controlled TrialResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov{\textquoteright}tEngland2003/09/13 05:00J Viral Hepat. 2003 Sep;10(5):383-9. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2893.2003.00439.x.},
	month = {Sep},
	pages = {383-9},
	abstract = {A randomized trial was conducted to assess the efficacy of interferon-alpha (IFN) daily in combination with ribavirin in 301 naive patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Patients were randomized to receive ribavirin 1.2 g daily (QD) for 48 weeks with either IFN 5 MU (thrice weekly) TIW for 8 weeks followed by IFN 3 MU TIW for 40 weeks (IFN TIW, n = 154) or IFN 5 MU QD for 8 weeks followed by IFN 3 MU QD for 16 weeks followed by IFN 3 MU TIW for 24 weeks (IFN QD, n = 147). Treatment discontinuation rates, because of adverse events, were similar in the two arms (14.9\% in IFN TIW and 14.3\% in IFN QD, P = 0.87). The proportion of patients with sustained virological response (SVR) was 27.9\% for patients treated TIW and 38.8\% for those treated QD (P = 0.046). According to logistic regression analysis, patients in the IFN QD arm had 1.7 times higher probability of achieving SVR, than those receiving IFN TIW (P = 0.038). Low baseline viral load (P = 0.017) and genotype non-1 (P = 0.036) were associated with higher SVR rates. Combination of IFN/ribavirin for 48 weeks is more effective when IFN is administered daily for the first 24 weeks in naive patients with CHC.},
	keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Antiviral Agents/administration \& dosage/*therapeutic use, Drug Therapy, Combination, Female, Hepacivirus/genetics/*isolation \& purification, Hepatitis C, Chronic/*drug therapy/virology, Humans, Interferon-alpha/administration \& dosage/*therapeutic use, Male, Middle Aged, Ribavirin/administration \& dosage/*therapeutic use, Time Factors, Treatment Outcome, Viral Load},
	isbn = {1352-0504 (Print)1352-0504 (Linking)},
	author = {Tassopoulos, N. C. and Ketikoglou, I. and Tsantoulas, D. and Raptopoulou, M. and Hatzis, G. and Vafiadis, I. and Sidiropoulos, L. and Kanatakis, S. and Anagnostopoulos, G. and Sypsa, V and Hatzakis, A and Hellenic Viral Hepatitis Research, Network}
}
