Subgenomic analysis of the HCV core gene indicated that five patients developed delayed recurrence of HCV infection. Overall, the cumulative recurrence rate of HCV infection was 2.3% (0.4%/year; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9%-5.5%). The cumulative HBsAg seroclearance rate was 30.0% (95% CI, 21.5%-42.0%); with 33.1% (95% CI, 21.8%-50.1%) in the 48-week combination therapy group and 24.3% (95% CI, 13.7%-42.9%) in the 24-week therapy group. Conclusion:

Peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin therapy provides good HCV SVR durability and a high find more accumulative HBsAg seroclearance rate in patients who are coinfected with HCV and HBV. (HEPATOLOGY 2013;) In areas where hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is endemic, a substantial number of patients are infected with both viruses.1-3 Those dually infected with HCV and HBV have been reported to carry a significantly higher risk of developing advanced liver diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) than those with either infection alone.3-7 Consequently, this group of patients needs to be treated more actively. In patients with HCV genotype 1 infection, the rate of sustained virologic response (SVR) at 24 weeks (SVR24) after the end of combination therapy with peginterferon alfa-2a find protocol and ribavirin was 72.2% in coinfected patients versus 77.3% in monoinfected patients; for patients with HCV genotype 2/3 infection,

the SVR24 values were 82.8% and 84.0%, respectively.8 These results suggest that combination therapy is equally effective in patients with HCV monoinfection and in those with chronic Lenvatinib solubility dmso HCV/HBV coinfection. In addition, posttreatment hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance was observed in 11.2% of 161 coinfected patients.8, 9 It is noteworthy that serum HBV DNA eventually appeared

in 36.3% of the 77 coinfected patients with undetectable pretreatment levels of HBV DNA. Previous studies have suggested that hepatitis C may relapse in 0.9% to 10% of simple chronic hepatitis C patients who initially obtained SVR24 after the end of treatment.10-12 They thus concluded that in patients with chronic hepatitis C who have no detectable serum HCV RNA 24 weeks after interferon therapy, long-term sustained biochemical and virologic response is anticipated. However, whether HCV SVR24 could be maintained in patients with chronic hepatitis B and C coinfection has not been reported. For the treatment of chronic hepatitis B, the virologic and serologic responses may also not be durable.13, 14 Furthermore, previous studies suggest that therapeutic efficacy might not be seen during the treatment period but rather occur during the prolonged follow-up period in patients receiving immunomodulatory therapy such as interferon.15 Therefore, it is important to clarify the long-term treatment outcome in this dually infected population.