A case of relapse after pegylated interferon and ribavirin combination therapy in acute Hepatitis C

Seok Kim,; Byung Ik Kim,; Young Gi L Choi,; Won Gil Chung,; Tae Woo Yoo,; Hong Ju Kim,; Yong Kyun Cho,

Korean J Med > Volume 73(3); 2007 > Article

Original Article

The Korean Journal of Medicine 2007;73(3):920-924.

A case of relapse after pegylated interferon and ribavirin combination therapy in acute Hepatitis C

Seok Kim, Byung Ik Kim, Young Gi L Choi, Won Gil Chung, Tae Woo Yoo, Hong Ju Kim, Yong Kyun Cho

경희대학교 의과대학 순환기내과학교실

증례 : 급성 C형 간염에서 페그인터페론과 리바비린 병합 요법 후 재발한 1예

김 석, 김병익, 최영길, 정원길, 유태우, 김홍주, 조용균

Abstract

Acute viral hepatitis C is difficult to diagnose because it has nonspecific clinical symptoms, and there is no specific serological marker that can be used to differentiate it from chronic hepatitis C. In addition, how and when to treat acute hepatitis C remain controversial. The therapeutic response rates decline to about 50% as the infection with hepatitis virus C becomes chronic. In a recent report, early pegylated interferon therapy showed 89% sustained virologic responses. Here, we report a case of a 59-year-old woman diagnosed with acute hepatitis C with a review of the literature. She was treated with pegylated interferon in combination with ribavirin and showed a sustained virological response for 14 months, but she eventually had a relapse of hepatitis C. Henceforth, studies on the efficacy and outcomes of the various treatments for acute hepatitis C will be needed in Korea.(Korean J Med 73:S920-S924, 2007)

Key Words: Hepatitis C, Pegylated interferon alfa-2b, Ribavirin, Relapse