Please select the outcome measures that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a Plus Low Dose Ribavirin Versus Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a Alone for Treatment-naïve Hemodialysis Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C
Brief Summary: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is common in dialysis patients. Interferon (IFN)-based treatment for chronic hepatitis C has been the mainstay therapy in immunocompetent patients. In dialysis patients, treatment with conventional or pegylated interferon has also received much attention recently. Two meta-analyses evaluating the efficacy and safety of conventional IFN alfa monotherapy showed that the sustained virologic response (SVR) rates were 37% and 33%, respectively; and the corresponding dropout rates were 17% and 29.6%, respectively.The efficacy and safety of pegylated IFN alfa-2a and 2b in treating dialysis patients showed conflicting results, with a more favorable outcome of patients treated with pegylated IFN alfa-2a (135-180 μg/week: SVR 33-75%, well tolerated) than those treated with pegylated IFN alfa-2b (0.5-1.0 μg/week: SVR 12.5%, poorly tolerated. Currently, IFN-based therapy to treatment HCV infection should be initiated in dialysis stages, because the use of IFN in RT patients harbors high risks of acute graft rejection,and have low response rates under the concomitant use of immunosuppressive agents.

Ribavirin, which has been used in combination with IFN to treat chronic hepatitis C in the general patients and achieve a higher SVR rate than IFN monotherapy, is considered contraindicated in dialysis patients with chronic hepatitis C due to the risk of severe hemolytic anemia. However, some pilot studies evaluating combined conventional IFN alfa plus low dose ribavirin (170-300 mg/day) showed SVR rates of 17%-66% after 24-48 weeks of treatment. In addition, a recent study including 6 patients with combination of pegylated IFN alfa plus low dose ribavirin also showed a SVR rate of 50%. In this study, treatment with pegylated IFN alfa-2a plus low dose ribavirin achieved a higher SVR rate that that with pegylated IFN alfa-2b plus low dose ribavirin (100% vs. 25%).

Based on the long-term favorable outcome in dialysis patients who eradicate HCV, and the superior response of pegylated IFN alfa-2a plus low dose ribavirin to pegylated IFN alfa-2b plus low dose ribavirin in treating dialysis patients with chronic hepatitis C, the aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pegylated IFN alfa-2a plus low dose ribavirin versus pegylated interferon alfa-2a alone in treatment naïve dialysis patients with chronic hepatitis C.


Options:
A: Percentage of Participants With Sustained Virologic Response 12 Weeks After Completing Study Therapy (SVR12) (Week 24 (Immediate Treatment + Intensive PK) or Week 40 (Deferred Treatment)); Number of Participants Experiencing an Adverse Event (AE) During the Initial Treatment and 14-day Follow-up Periods (Up to Week 14); Number of Participants Discontinuing Study Drug Due to AEs During the Initial Treatment Period (Up to Week 12)
B: There is no specific primary outcome measure but we indicated below (see Description) a list of potential outcome measures according to the objectives. (From recruitment to the end of the cohort, with a minimum of one medical visit per year (the duration of follow-up is 7-8 years))
C: Sustained Virologic Response (SVR)Rate (1.5 year)
D: Percentage of Participants With Sustained Virologic Response 12 Weeks Post-treatment (SVR12) (12 weeks after the last actual dose of study drug)

Answer: C