Therapeutic effects of pegylated-interferon (Peg-IFN) therapy combined with ribavirin (RBV) and simeprevir on patients with chronic hepatitis C

INTERVENTION: Peg‐IFN‐alpha2a/RBV/simeprevir 12weeks plus Peg‐IFN‐alpha2a/RBV 36weeks: a total of 48 weeks treatment Peg‐IFN‐alpha2a/RBV/simeprevir 12weeks plus Peg‐IFN‐alpha2a/RBV 36weeks: a total of 48 weeks treatment CONDITION: Chronic hepatitis C PRIMARY OUTCOME: The rate of sustained viral response (having undetectable serum HCV‐RNA 24 weeks after the end of treatment) INCLUSION CRITERIA: Patients having genotype 1b high virus titer chronic hepatitis C (HCV‐RNA more than 5 LogIU/mL) who did not achieve early viral response and failed in viral eradication with the previous Peg‐IFN plus RBV treatment and who met the following INCLUSION CRITERIA: laboratory data before study treatment of white blood cell count over 3,000/mm3, neutrophil count over 1,500/mm3,platelet count over 90,000/mm3, and hemoglobin over 12 g/dL