News Stories

Study on retreatment of non-responders using data from the HALT-C trial:

<a href="http://www2.gastrojournal.org/scripts/om.dll/serve?action=searchDB&searchDBfor=art&artType=abs&id=as0016508504000344&nav=abs">Peginterferon Alfa-2a and ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C who have failed prior treatment</a>

(from the article):

"<i>Results: Thirty-five percent of patients had no detectable HCV RNA in serum at treatment week 20, and 18% achieved sustained virologic response (SVR). Factors associated with an SVR included previous treatment with interferon monotherapy, infection with genotypes 2 or 3, a lower AST:ALT ratio, and absence of cirrhosis. Reducing the dose of ribavirin from 80% to 60% of the starting dose during the first 20 weeks of treatment was associated with a decline in SVR from 21% to 11% (P  0.05). In contrast, reducing the dose of peginterferon or reducing ribavirin after week 20, when HCV RNA was already undetectable, did not significantly affect SVR.Conclusions: Selected nonresponders to previous interferon-based therapy can achieve SVR following retreatment with peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin.</i>"


Survey of Hep C patients:

<a href="http://www.natap.org/2004/HCV/032904_06.htm">Hepatitis C virus-infected patients (41%) report communication problems with physicians</a>

[britgirl]

I wes intersted in the low AST/ALT ratio. My ALT was higher than my AST (137/88 before tx) Is that the same for most of you?

[layla]

By the way I think you were dead on about the red dots. They are now all gone. Man I was worried about the age thing! haLL

[walkinghorse]

What a great med you just prescribed for me!!!  Thanks for the laugh - I really needed it today.  KK

[ellissg]

That was beautiful...............Thanks!!!

[cuteus]

I had forgotten that link. My daughter mentioned it last year.  I don't think is a google thing but someone from the UK (from the url).   It has been around a while and I'm glad no one "fixed" it yet.  I was trying to remember how to get it the other day....and could remember NOTHING but that it was something funny. ...it was during early riba era...last fall. :-}

[twotells]

Thanks for the great links.  Loved that very funny Google error page.  Dave

[DH Bill]

FUNNY!

[DH Bill]

FUNNY!