Viral Hepatitis - Related Resources

Cochrane reviews

• Ribavirin alone appears to have no significant beneficial effect on virological response and liver morbidity in chronic hepatitis C as compared to placebo or no intervention, but may improve biochemical and histological response transiently Ribavirin Monotherapy for Chronic Hepatitis C.

• Because of poor quality of available studies, there is insufficient evidence on the effectiveness of hepatitis B vaccination on the risk of hepatitis B in children or grown-ups who have not been previously exposed to hepatitis B infection or whose exposure status is not known. According to analysis restricted to participants available for follow-up, vaccination seems to be effective Hepatitis B Immunisation in Persons Not Previously Exposed to Hepatitis B or with Unknown Exposure Status.
• Antiviral therapy for recurrent liver graft infection with hepatitis C virus seems to lack clinical benefit, but there is insufficient evidence from adequate trials Antiviral Therapy for Recurrent Liver Graft Infection with Hepatitis C Virus.
• Among patients with stable HIV, the treatment of concomitant chronic hepatitis C with peginterferon plus ribavirin may be more effective than interferon plus ribavirin or peginterferon alone in achieving a virological response Antiviral Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis C in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Literature

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• Rumi MG, Aghemo A, Prati GM, D'Ambrosio R, Donato MF, Soffredini R, Del Ninno E, Russo A, Colombo M. Randomized study of peginterferon-alpha2a plus ribavirin vs peginterferon-alpha2b plus ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C. Gastroenterology 2010 Jan;138(1):108-15. [PubMed]
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• Hadziyannis SJ, Sette H Jr, Morgan TR et al; PEGASYS International Study Group. Peginterferon-alpha2a and ribavirin combination therapy in chronic hepatitis C: a randomized study of treatment duration and ribavirin dose. Ann Intern Med 2004 Mar 2;140(5):346-55. [PubMed]
• Dalgard O, Bjøro K, Ring-Larsen H et al; North-C Group. Pegylated interferon alfa and ribavirin for 14 versus 24 weeks in patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 2 or 3 and rapid virological response. Hepatology 2008 Jan;47(1):35-42. [PubMed]
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• Mangia A, Santoro R, Minerva N et al. Peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin for 12 vs. 24 weeks in HCV genotype 2 or 3. N Engl J Med 2005 Jun 23;352(25):2609-17. [PubMed]
• Zeuzem S, Buti M, Ferenci P et al. Efficacy of 24 weeks treatment with peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C infected with genotype 1 and low pretreatment viremia. J Hepatol 2006 Jan;44(1):97-103. [PubMed]
• Jensen DM, Morgan TR, Marcellin P, Pockros PJ, Reddy KR, Hadziyannis SJ, Ferenci P, Ackrill AM, Willems B. Early identification of HCV genotype 1 patients responding to 24 weeks peginterferon alpha-2a (40 kd)/ribavirin therapy. Hepatology 2006 May;43(5):954-60. [PubMed]
• Lok AS, McMahon BJ. Chronic hepatitis B: update 2009. Hepatology 2009 Sep;50(3):661-2. [PubMed]