Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27388623›Full record

ArticlePloS one2016

Influence of Ribavirin Serum Levels on Outcome of Antiviral Treatment and Anemia in Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

Thomas Kuntzen, Sereina Kuhn, Daniela Kuntzen, Burkhardt Seifert, Beat Müllhaupt, Andreas Geier

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Thomas KuntzenDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
Sereina KuhnDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
Daniela KuntzenDepartment of Internal Medicine, Kantonsspital Baden, Baden, Switzerland.
Burkhardt SeifertEpidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
Beat MüllhauptDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
Andreas GeierDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
University Hospital of Zurich · CHKantonsspital Baden · CHUniversity of Zurich · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRibavirin blood levels vary considerably between patients with standard weight-based dosing. Their impact on sustained virological response (SVR) with pegylated interferon and ribavirin is controversial, but has mostly been studied before the IL28b gene polymorphism as a possible confounder was discovered.

methodsThe impact of serum ribavirin trough levels at week 4, at the end of treatment and of mean levels across the entire antiviral treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin on relapse, SVR rates and anemia was retrospectively studied by univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses in 214 patients with HCV genotype 1-4 infection, including 88 patients with available IL28b genotyping.

resultsMean ribavirin levels varied between 0.68-5.65 mg/l and significantly differed between patients with or without SVR. By multivariable regression including age, sex, HCV viral load, HCV genotype, liver fibrosis stage, prior treatments, immunosuppression and IL28b genotype, ribavirin levels consistently displayed significant influence on SVR and relapse without indication for a specific importance of higher concentrations early or late in the treatment course. Although hemoglobin decline was on average more pronounced in patients with higher ribavirin levels, hemoglobin remained relatively stable in a significant proportion of these, indicating that ribavirin levels alone are insufficient to predict anemia.

conclusionWhile data are scarce to draw conclusions applicable for modern DAA therapies, these results support ribavirin treatment based on serum levels instead of purely weight-based dosing in combination with pegylated interferon.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAnemiaAntiviral AgentsCohort StudiesDrug Therapy, CombinationFemaleGenotypeHepacivirusHepatitis C, ChronicHumansImmunosuppression TherapyInterferon LambdaInterferonsInterleukinsMaleAntiviral AgentsInterferon Lambdainterferon-lambda, humanInterferonsInterleukinsPolyethylene GlycolsRibavirinRNA, Viral

Identifiers

PMID27388623
PMCPMC4936744
OpenAlexW2475164868

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.