Treatment of chronic hepatitis C: another therapeutic option.

Ribavirin is a nucleoside analogue with anti-viral activity against a number of DNA and RNA viruses. That molecule is administered per os and its most frequent adverse effect is haemolysis, moderate in most cases. Used alone, ribavirin normalized liver enzyme concentrations in 45% of patients while viraemia is not significantly modified. Histological improvement is observed in responder patients. The most interesting results have been obtained by associating ribavirin with interferon. In patients who have never been treated, a six-month course of ribavirin-interferon association produced a lasting and total response in 47% of patients versus 25% in patients treated with interferon alone. In relapsers, this bi-therapy produced total and prolonged response in more than 40% of cases and in 20% of non-responder patients. Lastly, that association appears promising in treating hepatitis C reinfection after liver transplantation.