Female, No. (%) Body mass index, mean ± SD Cirrhosis, No. (%) Platelet count (× 103/mm3), mean ± SD AST a, IU/L, mean ± SD ALT a, IU/L, mean ± SD Albumin, g/dl, mean ± SD APRI a score, mean ± SD ≥ 800 000 IU/mL < 800 000 IU/mL HCV a genotype, No. (%) Type 1 Baseline serum HCV RNA, Log10 IU/mL, mean ± SD 5.6 ± 0.9 Baseline serum HCV RNA, No. (%) 8 (32.0) 22.5 ± 2.8 6 (24.0) 161.0 ± 50.9 63.2 ± 36.4 72.9 ± 56.3 4.1 ± 0.3 1.1 ± 0.8 12 (48) 13 (52) 4 (16.0) 5 (38.5) 23.2 ± 3.0 3 (23.1) 127.7 ± 48.1 64.9 ± 34.5 58.1 ± 49.6 4.0 ± 0.5 1.3 ± 0.7 5.7 ± 0.7 7 (58.3) 5 (46.2) 9 (69.2) Type 2 or 3 21 (84.0) 4 (30.8) a Abbreviations: ALT, alanine amino transferase; APRI, platelet ratio index; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; HCV, hepatitis C virus; SVR, sustained virologic response Table 3. Factors Associated With Sustained Virologic Response (SVR) in Elderly Patients by Multivariate Analysis. Odds Ratio 95% CI Kim HI et al. PEG-IFN-α Plus Ribavirin in Elderly Chronic Hepatitis C Table 2. Factors Associated With Sustained Virologic Response (SVR) in Elderly Patients by Univariate Analysis Patients With SVR a (n = 25) Patients Without SVRa (n = 13) P value 0.57 0.52 0.95 0.07 0.89 0.44 0.28 0.40 0.72 0.56 0.004 P value 0.38 0.41 0.74 0.04 0.05 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.02 0.91 0.003 0.340 - 17.119 0.009 - 6.759 0.016 - 335.46 0.000 - 0.869 Elderly Group, No. (%) (n = 38) Non-Elderly Group, No. (%) (n = 143) P value APRI a score Baseline serum HCV RNA, Log10 IU/mL Baseline serum HCV RNA (≥ 800 000 IU/mL vs. < 800 000 IU/mL) HCV a genotype (type 1 vs. type 2 or 3) a Abbreviations: APRI, platelet ratio index; HCV, hepatitis C virus Table 4. Treatment Discontinuation and Dose Modification Premature discontinuation Adverse events Laboratory abnormalities Other causes Dose modification PEG-IFN-α Ribavirin 8 (21.1) 5 (13.2) 2 (5.3) 1 (2.6) 20 (52.6) 11 (28.9) 13 (34.2) 2.41 0.25 2.31 0.18 13 (9.1) 8 (5.6) 3 (2.1) 2 (1.4) 45 (31.5) 40 (28) 19 (13.3) and RBV therapy were significantly lower among elderly patients (10, 11). Honda et al. reported that the SVR rate was significantly lower in elderly patients (≥ 65 years) compared to younger patients (< 65 years), (37.4 % vs. 51.5 % , P = 0.01), viral load and genotype were significantly as- sociated with SVR in elderly patients, and female patients were less likely to achieve SVR than male patients (10). Kainuma et al. also reported that the SVR rate decreased significantly with age in all genotypes and was markedly reduced in genotype 1 (11). Among patients with genotype 1, the SVR rate was significantly lower in patients 65 years or older than in those less than 65 years (22.7 % vs. 47.3 % , P < 0.001). In addition, among patients with genotype 2, the SVR rate was significantly lower in patients 65 years or older than in those less than 65 years (65.6 % vs. 82.9 % ) (P = 0.004). However, a recent study by Nishikawa H et al. reported that there was no significant difference in the sustained virological response rate between younger pa- 434 Hepat Mon. 2012