Semin Liver Dis 2003; 23: 029-034
DOI: 10.1055/s-2003-41632
Copyright © 2002 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA. Tel.: +1(212) 584-4662

Viral Kinetics in Hepatitis C Virus: Special Patient Populations

Jennifer E. Layden-Almer, Thomas J. Layden
  • University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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Publikationsdatum:
21. August 2003 (online)

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ABSTRACT

The evolution in therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection to the more recent use of peginterferons in combination with ribavirin has dramatically increased the sustained virological response (SVR) rates versus standard interferon/ ribavirin combination therapy. However, although peginterferon and ribavirin therapy has markedly improved treatment responses overall, factors such as high viral load, genotype 1 infection, obesity, HIV co-infection and African American race continue to pose challenges to optimizing SVR rates. Application of mathematical models may be helpful in understanding why these groups and/or individuals appear to be resistant to interferon (IFN)-based therapy. This article focuses on the viral kinetics and viral kinetic differences among patients infected with HCV genotypes 1 and 2, obese and nonobese patients, and African Americans and Whites.