The optimal dose of ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C: From literature evidence to clinical practice

Hepatitis Monthly

Volumn 11, Issue 4, 2011, Pages 240-246

  Abenavoli, Ludovico ^a   Mazza, Marta ^b   Almasio, Piero L ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY MAGNA GRAECIA OF CATANZARO   (Italy)

^b UNIVERSITY OF PALERMO   (Italy)

Author keywords

Dose response; Hepatitis C virus; Ribavirin

Indexed keywords

ERYTHROPOIETIN; PEGINTERFERON ALPHA2A; PEGINTERFERON ALPHA2B; PLACEBO; RIBAVIRIN;

ANEMIA; ARTICLE; CLINICAL PRACTICE; DRUG BLOOD LEVEL; DRUG DOSE REDUCTION; DRUG MEGADOSE; DRUG RESPONSE; EVIDENCE BASED MEDICINE; GENOTYPE; HEMOLYTIC ANEMIA; HEPATITIS C; HUMAN; KIDNEY FAILURE; LIVER CIRRHOSIS; LIVER FAILURE; LIVER FIBROSIS; LIVER INJURY; MEDICAL LITERATURE;

EID: 84857835114     PISSN: 1735143X     EISSN: 17353408     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Article

References (47)

1. Armstrong GL, Wasley A, Simard EP, McQuillan GM, Kuhnert WL, Alter MJ. The prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in the United States, 1999 through 2002. Ann Intern Med. 2006;144(10):705-714.
2. Thomas DL, Seef LB. Natural history of hepatitis C. Clin Liver Dis. 2005;9(3):383-98, vi.
3. Hoofnagle JH, Seef LB. Peginterferon and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C. N Engl J Med. 2006;355(23):2444-2451.
4. Reddy KR, Nelson DR, Zeuzem S. Ribavirin: current role in the optimal clinical management of chronic hepatitis C. J Hepatol. 2009;50(2):402-411.
5. Hadziyannis SJ, Sette H, Jr., Morgan TR, Balan V, Diago M, Marcel-lin P, et al. Peginterferon-alpha2a and ribavirin combination therapy in chronic hepatitis C: a randomized study of treatment duration and ribavirin dose. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140(5):346-355.
6. Fried MW, Shifman ML, Reddy KR, Smith C, Marinos G, Goncales FL, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C virus infection. N Engl J Med. 2002;347(13):975-982.
7. Jacobson IM, Brown RS, Jr., Freilich B, Afdhal N, Kwo PY, Santoro J, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2b and weight-based or flat-dose ribavi-rin in chronic hepatitis C patients: a randomized trial. Hepatol-ogy. 2007;46(4):971-981.
8. Blatt LM, Mutchnick MG, Tong MJ, Klion FM, Lebovics E, Freilich B, et al. Assessment of hepatitis C virus RNA and genotype from 6807 patients with chronic hepatitis C in the United States. J Viral Hepat. 2000;7(3):196-202.
9. Sarrazin C, Kiefer TL, Bartels D, Hanzelka B, Muh U, Welker M, et al. Dynamic hepatitis C virus genotypic and phenotypic changes in patients treated with the protease inhibitor telaprevir. Gastro-enterology. 2007;132(5):1767-1777.
10. Almasio PL, Cottone C, D'Angelo F. Pegylated interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C: lights and shadows of an innovative treatment. Dig Liver Dis. 2007;39(Suppl 1):S88-S95.
11. McHutchison JG, Gordon SC, Schif ER, Shifman ML, Lee WM, Rustgi VK, et al. Interferon alfa-2b alone or in combination with ribavirin as initial treatment for chronic hepatitis C. Hepatitis Interventional Therapy Group. N Engl J Med. 1998;339(21):1485-1492.
12. Poynard T, Marcellin P, Lee SS, Niederau C, Minuk GS, Ideo G, et al. Randomised trial of interferon alpha2b plus ribavirin for 48 weeks or for 24 weeks versus interferon alpha2b plus placebo for 48 weeks for treatment of chronic infection with hepatitis C virus. International Hepatitis Interventional Therapy Group (IHIT). Lancet. 1998;352(9138):1426-32.
13. Yu ML, Dai CY, Huang JF, Hou NJ, Lee LP, Hsieh MY, et al. A randomised study of peginterferon and ribavirin for 16 versus 24 weeks in patients with genotype 2 chronic hepatitis C. Gut. 2007;56(4):553-559.
14. Manns MP, McHutchison JG, Gordon SC, Rustgi VK, Shifman M, Reindollar R, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin compared with interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin for initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C: a randomised trial. Lancet. 2001;358(9286):958-965.
15. Zoulim F, Haem J, Ahmed SS, Chossegros P, Habersetzer F, Cheval-lier M, et al. Ribavirin monotherapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C: a retrospective study of 95 patients. J Viral Hepat. 1998;5(3):193-8.
16. Pawlotsky JM, Dahari H, Neumann AU, Hezode C, Germanidis G, Lonjon I, et al. Antiviral action of ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C. Gastroenterology. 2004;126(3):703-714.
17. Glue P, Rouzier-Panis R, Rafanel C, Sabo R, Gupta SK, Salf M, et al. A dose-ranging study of pegylated interferon alfa-2b and ribavi-rin in chronic hepatitis C. The Hepatitis C Intervention Therapy Group. Hepatology. 2000;32(3):647-653.
18. Dixit NM, Layden-Almer JE, Layden TJ, Perelson AS. Modelling how ribavirin improves interferon response rates in hepatitis C virus infection. Nature. 2004;432(7019):922-924.
19. McHutchison JG, Manns M, Patel K, Poynard T, Lindsay KL, Trepo C, et al. Adherence to combination therapy enhances sustained response in genotype-1-infected patients with chronic hepatitis C. Gastroenterology. 2002;123(4):1061-1069.
20. Davis GL, Wong JB, McHutchison JG, Manns MP, Harvey J, Albrecht J. Early virologic response to treatment with peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Hepatol-ogy. 2003;38(3):645-652.
21. Dixit NM, Perelson AS. The metabolism, pharmacokinetics and mechanisms of antiviral activity of ribavirin against hepatitis C virus. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2006;63(7-8):832-842.
22. Kronenberger B, Zeuzem S. Current and future treatment options for HCV. Ann Hepatol. 2009;8(2):103-112.
23. Snoeck E, Wade JR, Duf F, Lamb M, Jorga K. Predicting sustained virological response and anemia in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD) plus ribavirin. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2006;62(6):699-709.
24. Aghemo A, Rumi MG, Colombo M. Pegylated IFN-alpha2a and ribavirin in the treatment of hepatitis C. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2009;7(8):925-935.
25. Wade JR, Snoeck E, Duf F, Lamb M, Jorga K. Pharmacokinetics of ribavirin in patients with hepatitis C virus. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2006;62(6):710-714.
26. Shifman ML, Ghany MG, Morgan TR, Wright EC, Everson GT, Lindsay KL, et al. Impact of reducing peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin dose during retreatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Gastroenterology. 2007;132(1):103-112.
27. Bronowicki JP, Ouzan D, Asselah T, Desmorat H, Zarski JP, Fouch-er J, et al. Efect of ribavirin in genotype 1 patients with hepatitis C responding to pegylated interferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin. Gastroenterology. 2006;131(4):1040-1048.
28. Ferenci P, Brunner H, Laferl H, Scherzer TM, Maieron A, Strasser M, et al. A randomized, prospective trial of ribavirin 400 mg/day versus 800 mg/day in combination with peginterferon alfa-2a in hepatitis C virus genotypes 2 and 3. Hepatology. 2008;47(6):1816-1823.
29. Lindahl K, Stahle L, Bruchfeld A, Schvarcz R. High-dose ribavirin in combination with standard dose peginterferon for treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C. Hepatology. 2005;41(2):275-279.
30. Reddy KR, Shifman ML, Morgan TR, Zeuzem S, Hadziyannis S, Hamzeh FM, et al. Impact of ribavirin dose reductions in hepatitis C virus genotype 1 patients completing peginterferon alfa-2a/ ribavirin treatment. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2007;5(1):124-129.
31. Shifman ML, Salvatore J, Hubbard S, Price A, Sterling RK, Stra-vitz RT, et al. Treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1 with peginterferon, ribavirin, and epoetin alpha. Hepatology. 2007;46(2):371-379.
32. Lindahl K, Schvarcz R, Bruchfeld A, Stahle L. Evidence that plasma concentration rather than dose per kilogram body weight predicts ribavirin-induced anemia. J Viral Hepat. 2004;11(1):84-87.
33. Afdhal NH, Dieterich DT, Pockros PJ, Schif ER, Shifman ML, Sulkowski MS, et al. Epoetin alfa maintains ribavirin dose in HCV-infected patients: a prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled study. Gastroenterology. 2004;126(5):1302-1311.
34. Pockros PJ, Shifman ML, Schif ER, Sulkowski MS, Younossi Z, Di-eterich DT, et al. Epoetin alfa improves quality of life in anemic HCV-infected patients receiving combination therapy. Hepatol-ogy. 2004;40(6):1450-1458.
35. Shifman ML, Suter F, Bacon BR, Nelson D, Harley H, Sola R, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin for 16 or 24 weeks in HCV genotype 2 or 3. N Engl J Med. 2007;357(2):124-134.
36. Fr Medication Guide (Roche LA. F Hofman-La Roche Inc. COPE-GUS (ribavirin USP) tablets. San Francisco; USA: Prescribing information; 2007 [updated 2007; cited 2010 Date]; Available from: http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/archives/fdaDrug-Info.cfm?archiveid=18266.
37. Corporation S-P. REBETOL(R) (ribavirin, USP) capsules and oral solution. Kenilworth; USA: Product information; 2003 [updated 2001; cited 2003 Date]; Available from: http://www.medicin-eonline.com/drugs/r/3175/REBETOL-ribavirin-USP-Capsules-and-Oral-Solution.html.
38. Solis-Herruzo JA, Castellano G, Fernandez I, Munoz R, Hawkins F. Decreased bone mineral density after therapy with alpha in-terferon in combination with ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C. J Hepatol. 2000;33(5):812-817.
39. Trombetti A, Giostra E, Mentha G, Negro F, Rizzoli R. Lack of evidence for ribavirin-induced bone loss. Hepatology. 2002;36(1):255-257.
40. Urganci N, Gulec SG, Arapoglu M, Vural S, Nuhog A. The effect of ribavirin on bone density in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon-ribavirin therapy. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2005;41(5):650-652.
41. Moreira RO, Balduino A, Martins HS, Reis JS, Duarte ME, Farias ML, et al. Ribavirin, but not interferon alpha-2b, is associated with impaired osteoblast proliferation and diferentiation in vitro. Calcif Tissue Int. 2004;75(2):160-8.
42. Hofmann WP, Kronenberger B, Bojunga J, Stamm B, Herrmann E, Bucker A, et al. Prospective study of bone mineral density and metabolism in patients with chronic hepatitis C during pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin therapy. J Viral Hepat. 2008;15(11):790-796.
43. Lee J, Kim JH, Kim K, Jin HM, Lee KB, Chung DJ, et al. Ribavirin enhances osteoclast formation through osteoblasts via up-reg-ulation of TRANCE/RANKL. Mol Cell Biochem. 2007;296(1-2):17-24.
44. Jain AB, Eghtesad B, Venkataramanan R, Fontes PA, Kashyap R, Dvorchik I, et al. Ribavirin dose modifcation based on renal function is necessary to reduce hemolysis in liver transplant patients with hepatitis C virus infection. Liver Transpl. 2002;8(11):1007-13.
45. Kamar N, Chatelut E, Manolis E, Lafont T, Izopet J, Rostaing L. Ribavirin pharmacokinetics in renal and liver transplant patients: evidence that it depends on renal function. Am J Kidney Dis. 2004;43(1):140-146.
46. El-Zayadi AR. Hepatitis C comorbidities afecting the course and response to therapy. World J Gastroenterol. 2009;15(40):4993-4999.
47. Dienstag JL, McHutchison JG. American Gastroenterological Association technical review on the management of hepatitis C. Gastroenterology. 2006;130(1):231-264; quiz 14-7.