Efficacy of Pegylated interferon α-2a and α-2b in patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C: a meta-analysis

• Published in: BMC infectious diseases 2012-12, Vol.12 (1), p.357-357, Article 357
• Main Authors: Coppola, Nicola, Pisaturo, Mariantonietta, Tonziello, Gilda, Sagnelli, Caterina, Sagnelli, Evangelista, Angelillo, Italo F
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antiviral therapy in HCV patients; Female; Hepatitis C, Chronic - drug therapy; Humans; Interferon-alpha - administration & dosage; Interferon-alpha - therapeutic use; Male; Meta-analysis; Polyethylene Glycols - administration & dosage; Polyethylene Glycols - therapeutic use; Recombinant Proteins - administration & dosage; Recombinant Proteins - therapeutic use; Response to anti-HCV therapy; Tolerability of anti-HCV therapy; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1471-2334; 1471-2334
• DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-12-357

Two formulations of Pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) are on the market for treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to assess the efficacy of Peg-IFN α-2a versus Peg-IFN α-2b in combination with ribavirin in anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative patients with genotype 1 chronic HCV infection. The following criteria were to be met for inclusion in the meta-analysis: (a) original data from randomized and non-randomized clinical trials; (b) study on the efficacy of conventional doses of Peg-IFN α-2a (180 μg/week) versus Peg-IFN α-2b (1.5 μg/kg of body weight/week), both in combination with ribavirin, in antiviral therapy-naïve HCV-genotype 1 subjects; (c) at least one of these primary outcomes: Rapid Virological Response (RVR); Early Complete Virological Response (EVR); End of Treatment Response (ETR); Sustained Virological Response (SVR); (d) odds ratio estimates of relative risk (RR) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) or at least data enabling them to be computed; (e) English language; and (f) published as a full paper up to December 2011. Seven published studies met the inclusion criteria, allowing a meta-analysis on 3,026 patients. Peg-IFN α-2a and Peg-IFN α-2b showed similar rate of RVR (RR = 1.05; 95% CI = 0.87-1.27, p = 0.62) and SVR (RR = 1.08; 95% CI = 0.99-1.18, p = 0.098). Peg-IFN α-2a more frequently than Peg-IFN α-2b achieved EVR (RR = 1.11; 95% CI = 1.02-1.21, p = 0.013) and ETR (RR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.14-1.31, p