Chronic hepatitis C and interferon alfa therapy: predictors of long term response.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To identify independent patient, disease and viral characteristics that predict a sustained biochemical or viral response to interferon alfa therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. DESIGN: Comparison of interferon responders and non-responders by univariate and multivariate analysis. SETTING: The hepatitis clinic of the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne (a tertiary referral hospital), between July 1989 and June 1994. SUBJECTS: All patients with chronic hepatitis C who were treated with interferon alfa (IFN-alpha; 3 million IU, three times a week or more) for at least 12 weeks. OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient demographic and epidemiologic characteristics, pretreatment serum alanine aminot..