CLINICAL ALERT
Adding ribavirin to interferon 
-2b for chronic
hepatitis C infection increased virological response and nausea
-2b with and without ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C.
Lancet
1998 Jan 10;351:83-87[Medline]
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
Question
In patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection,
is the addition of ribavirin to interferon -2b effective and safe?
Design
48 week randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial.
Setting
5 university hospitals in Sweden.
Patients
100 patients (mean age 40 y, 62% men) who had increased
aminotransferase concentrations for 
6 months, serum antibodies to HCV found by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and a diagnosis of
chronic hepatitis on a liver biopsy sample in the previous 12 months.
Exclusion criteria included previous treatment with interferon -2b
or ribavirin, decompensated cirrhosis, autoimmune hepatitis, chronic
hepatitis B infection, HIV infection, current intravenous drug use,
liver disease related to drug use, or pregnancy.
Intervention
Patients were allocated to combination therapy (subcutaneous
interferon -2b, 3 MU three times/wk, plus ribavirin, 1000 mg daily
in 2 divided doses) (n=50) or monotherapy (subcutaneous interferon
-2b plus a matching placebo) (n=50) for 24 weeks. Patients who
weighed 75 kg received 1200 mg of
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