Complete early virological response was highly achieved by double filtration plasmapheresis plus IFN-beta induction therapy for HCV-1b patients with relapse or no response after previous IFN therapy.

The efficacy of double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) plus interferon (IFN)-beta induction therapy was preliminarily investigated in re-treated patients with chronic genotype 1b hepatitis C and high viral load (patients with relapse or non-response to previous IFN therapies). In eight patients with chronic hepatitis C, DFPP was performed five times over 2 weeks during IFN-beta therapy, and 3 MU of IFN-beta was administered twice a day for 2 weeks. Combination therapies with ribavirin and pegylated IFN-alpha 2b (PEG-IFN-alpha 2b) or pegylated IFN-alpha 2a (PEG-IFN-alpha 2a) were subsequently used. After 4 weeks, hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA tended to be more greatly decreased with DFPP combination therapy than with previous IFN therapy (4.5 +/- 2.0 log(10)IU/mL vs. 2.9 +/- 1.2 log(10)IU/mL). Rates of both rapid virological response and complete early virological response were significantly higher with DFPP and IFN-beta induction therapy than with previous IFN therapy. DFPP plus IFN-beta induction therapy produced a great reduction of viral load during the early stage of treatment and achieved a high early virological response, suggesting that this combination therapy may be useful as a new treatment modality for chronic hepatitis C patients in difficult-to-treat states. This combination may contribute to sustained virological response (SVR). The effects of DFPP on SVR and its significance remain to be clarified.