Table 2.
Results of retreatment according to baseline features and regimens administered
| End of treatment response | Sustained response | |||
| Biochemical (% (No)) | Complete (% (No)) | Biochemical (% (No)) | Complete (% (No)) | |
| All patients | 46.6 (271/581) | 38.7 (206/532) | 18.7 (109/581) | 15.7 (88/559) |
| Cirrhosis | ||||
| Present | 29.6 (19/64) | 27.5 (16/58) | 14 (9/64) | 12.5 (8/64) |
| Absent | 48.7 (252/517) | 40 (180/474) | 19.3 (100/517) | 16.1 (80/495) |
| p Value | 0.004 | 0.065 | 0.30 | 0.44 |
| Genotype | ||||
| 1 | 45.6 (142/311) | 30.4 (92/302) | 15.1 (47/311) | 14.4 (43/297) |
| Non-1 | 47.7 (129/270) | 49.5 (114/230) | 22.9 (62/270) | 17.1 (45/262) |
| p Value | 0.60 | 0.001 | 0.016 | 0.38 |
| HCV-RNA | ||||
| ≥2×106 copies/ml | 30.8 (21/68) | 30 (18/60) | 22 (15/68) | 17.6 (12/68) |
| <2×106 copies/ml | 49.5 (169/341) | 37.3 (115/308) | 18.1 (62/341) | 16.3 (55/336) |
| p Value | 0.005 | 0.27 | 0.45 | 0.79 |
| IFN retreatment regimens | ||||
| Standard dose (234 MU) | 39.2 (33/84) | 31.6 (25/79) | 8.3 (7/84) | 6.1 (5/82) |
| Medium dose (>234–468 MU) | 46.3 (133/287) | 34 (91/267) | 15.3 (44/287) | 13.2 (36/272) |
| High dose (>468 MU) | 50 (105/210) | 48.3 (90/186) | 27.6 (58/210) | 22.9 (47/205) |
| p Value | 0.24 | 0.003 | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Length of retreatment | ||||
| 6 months | 44 (99/225) | 41.2 (83/201) | 11.1 (25/225) | 10.1 (21/208) |
| 12 months | 48.3 (172/356) | 58.3 (193/331) | 23.6 (84/356) | 19 (67/351) |
| p Value | 0.31 | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.005 |
| 1st→2nd IFN course | ||||
| Standard→standard | 38.4 (20/52) | 39.5 (19/48) | 13.4 (7/52) | 9.6 (5/52) |
| Standard→medium/high | 49.5 (164/331) | 39.5 (121/306) | 21.7 (72/331) | 17.2 (55/319) |
| Medium/high→standard | 40.6 (13/32) | 19.3 (6/31) | 0 (0/32) | 0 (0/30) |
| Medium/high→medium/high | 44.5 (74/166) | 40.8 (60/147) | 18 (30/166) | 17.7 (28/158) |
| p Value | 0.35 | 0.15 | 0.016 | 0.044 |
| Type of IFN for retreatment | ||||
| Recombinant α2b | 46.7 (256/548) | 52.3 (261/499) | 18.8 (103/548) | 15.5 (82/526) |
| Leucocytic αN-3 | 45.4 (15/33) | 45.4 (15/33) | 18.1 (6/33) | 18.1 (6/33) |
| p Value | 0.88 | 0.44 | 0.93 | 0.69 |
HCV, hepatitis C virus; IFN, α interferon; MU, mega units.