[Efficacy of combined antiviral therapy with pegylated interferon alpha-2a and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C infection in intravenous drug users].

INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis C Virus infection represents not just a medical, but also a socio-economic problem. It is estimated that among 170 million infected, 60% belongs to the category of intravenous drug users (IDUs).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper was to compare the response to the combined therapy of pegylated interferon alfa 2a and ribavirin, in the group of patients with HCV infection who were intravenous drug users (IDUs) and in patients who were identified in the other way of transmission of HCV. Also to identify the influence of the therapy on diseases of addiction, during the course of HCV infection and on the effects of the combined therapy of pegylated interferon alfa 2a and ribavirin.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective-prospective study, on 60 patients, treated with combined antiviral therapy--pegylated interferon alfa 2a and ribavirin. 30 patients were from the group of IDUs, and 30 patients from other epidemiological groups.

RESULTS: There were significant differences between the age of the patients (30.2 +/- 7.1 vs. 39.3 +/- 11.2 years; p = 0.002), but no significant difference in the duration of the HCV infection between the two groups of patients (8.9 +/- 7.4 vs. 13.1 +/- 7.0 years; p > 0.05). A large number of the patients in the group of IDUs had a problem with the abstinence of the drug abuse. In this group, there was the influence of alcohol (30%) and other substances with potential hepatotoxicity: marihuana (23.3%) and psychoactive drugs (73.6%). Staging of the liver fibrosis was not influenced by those two parameters and was similar in both groups (p > 0.05). The genotype 3a was dominant in intravenous drug users (50.0%) and genotype 1b in the control group of the patients (76.6%). In both groups, SVR was achieved at a higher percentage (86% vs. 70.00%; p > 0.05), but among the intravenous drug users the relapses of HCV infection were at a lower percentage (3.3% vs. 20.0%; p = 0.044). Side effects were noticed in solitary cases in both of the examined groups, but severe side effects were found only in the control group of the patients. Relapse of drug abuse was noticed in 6.66% of cases.

CONCLUSION: We have registered that the group of intravenous drug users has the same or even better response to the antiviral therapy than other epidemiological groups and that the use of drugs does not change the course of HCV infection.