Table 5.
Reasons for discontinuation of pegylated interferon plus ribavirin treatment by hepatitis C virus genotype 2 patients
|
Group C (age < 65 yr) |
Group D (age ≥ 65 yr) |
Total | |||
| Male (n = 124) | Female (n = 128) | Male (n = 28) | Female (n = 33) | ||
| Discontinued number | 18 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 41 |
| Adverse effects | 6 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
| General fatigue | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Depression | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Appetite loss | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rash | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Encephalopathy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Neutropenia | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Anemia | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Thrombocytopenia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Elevation of ALT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hyperthyroidism | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Hypothyroidism | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Retinopathy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Interstitial pneumonia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pulmonary disease(others) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Psychoneurotic disorder | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nervous disease1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Autoimmune disease | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Metabolic disease | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Digestive disorder | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hepatocellular carcinoma | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malignancy (extra-liver) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| No effect of treatment | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Economic problem | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Others2 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 16 |
1
Includes nerve paralysis (n = 1), tetany (n = 1);
2
All patients were drop out. ALT: Alanine aminotransferase.