Abstract:

AIM: Although interferon (IFN) treatment in elderly patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has increased with the aging Japanese population, few studies have examined the efficacy and safety of IFN treatment in this population. We investigated the efficacy and safety of IFN treatment in elderly patients with chronic HCV infection using the Japanese Interferon Database.
METHODS: Records of IFN treatment in 36 prefectures in Japan from December 2009 to April 2013 were examined. Patients with HCV infection who received IFN treatment were selected. We compared the sustained virological response (SVR) rate and the withdrawal from treatment proportion among elderly patients (≥75 years) with those among younger patients (<65 years, 65-74 years).
RESULTS: We identified 15 267 patients with chronic HCV infection as the study cohort from the database. Of these, 310 patients were elderly with a mean age of 76.7 ± 1.95 years (2.03%; men, 155; women, 155), and the majority (87%) were treated with pegylated IFN. Lower SVR rates (aged <64 years, 65.3%; aged 65-74 years, 49.6%; aged ≥75 years, 46.5%; P < 0.001) and higher withdrawal from treatment proportions (aged <64 years, 15.0%; aged 65-74 years, 21.5%; aged ≥75 years, 32.4%; P < 0.001) were observed with aging.
CONCLUSION: We conclude that elderly patients with chronic HCV infection taking IFN therapy achieved lower SVR rates and a higher withdrawal from treatment proportion than younger patients.

日本語要旨: