Rapid virological response is the best predictor for achieving SVR under peg-IFN/ribavirin hepatitis C therapy in HIV/HCV co-infected patients

Methods Patients included in this retrospective multicentre cohort study received peg-IFN (1.5 μg/kg body weight or 180 μg, respectively) once weekly and weight-based RBV (600– 1200 mg) once daily. Patients with HCV-genotypes 2 or 3 were treated for 24 or 48 weeks; patients with genotype 1 or 4 received 48 weeks of therapy. Primary end-point was SVR. Binary logistic regression and calculation of positive predictive values (PPV) were used to identify prognostic parameters for achieving SVR and EVR (early virological response defined as undetectable HCV-RNA after 12 weeks of IFN/RBV treatment), respectively.