Recent IV-drug users with chronic hepatitis C can be efficiently treated with daily high dose induction therapy using consensus interferon: An open-label pilot study

Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of 58 patients, n (%)

Characteristics
Mean age, years, (range)	36 (22–62)
Sex
Male	33
Female	25
Race
Caucasian	48 (100)
ALT, IU/L (range)	57 (9-263)
HCV-RNA level, > 800.000 IU/mL	23 (40)
Mean level, IU/mL	615.000
HCV genotype
1, 1a, 1b, 4	32 (55)
2a, 2b, 3	24 (42)
Not available	2 (3)
HCV genotype 1 and HCV-RNA > 800.000 IU/mL	19 (33)
Liver biopsy (available in 56 out of 58 patients)
No chronic hepatitis	10 (17)
Chronic hepatitis	43 (74)
Cirrhosis	3 (5)
Co-medication
Methadone	4 (7)
Codeine	7 (12)

Table 2 Sustained viralogical response by HCV genotype, gender and sex (wk 72), n (%)

All genotypes
< 800.000 IU/mL	23/33 (70)
≥ 800.000 IU/mL	13/25 (52)
Genotype 1
< 800.000 IU/mL	5/6 (83)
≥ 800.000 IU/mL	9/19 (47)
Non-genotype 1
< 800.000 IU/mL	18/27 (67)
≥ 800.000 IU/mL	4/6 (67)
Sex
Male	16/33 (49)
Female	14/25 (56)

Sixteen patients who failed to follow up, dropped off the study due to side effects or died and were taken as non-responders, n = 58.

Table 3 Frequency of laboratory abnormalities (n = 58)

Event	n
Neutropenia
< 1500	21
< 1000	10
< 500	1
Anemia
< 10.5 g	1
< 8.5 g	0
Platelets
< 100.000	4
< 50.000	0

Table 4 Questionnaire (Int. Quality of Life Assessment SF-36). Listed are those answers presenting the majority of possible answers (%)

	wk 0	wk 12
Personal feeling	Very good (76)	Good (63)
Personal feeling compared to last week	Good (77)	Better (55)
Impaired physical activity	Never (90)	Slightly (77)
Impaired physical activity compared to last week	Never (88)	Slightly (73)
Emotional problems	Never (93)	Never (48)
Pain	None (90)	None (30)
Pain last week	None (83)	None (54)
Feeling depressed	Never (88)	Seldom (45)
Feeling happy	Often (85)	Sometimes (50)
Feeling tired	Seldom (77)	Sometimes (51)
Impaired personal contact to relatives and friends due to disease	Never (88)	Seldom (71)
“I’m feeling fit like others”	Mostly (94)	No (37)
“I’m feeling healthy”	Mostly (78)	No (65)
“I expect not to feel healthy”	Do not know (44)	No (32)