Age-related differences in response to peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection

Table 4 Sustained virological response rates stratified for treatment history

Patients	< 60 yr	≥ 60 yr	P value
Mean age	4558 (94.0)	301 (6.0)	< 0.0001
Gender			< 0.0001
Male	3001 (65.8)	133 (44.2)	-
Female	1557 (34.2)	168 (55.8)	-
Race
Caucasian	4373 (95.9)	289 (96.0)
African	78 (1.7)	6 (2.0)
Asian	88 (1.9)	5 (1.7)
Hispanic	16 (0.4)	1 (0.5)
Unknown/other	3 (0.1)	0
Genotype			< 0.0001
1	2614 (57.3)	245 (81.4)	-
2	258 (5.7)	27 (9.0)	-
3	1480 (32.5)	21 (7.0)	-
Others (4, 5, 6)	206 (4.5)	8 (2.6)
Initial viral load
> 1 Mio copies/mL	2659 (58.9)	193 (64.5)	0.0830
Thrombocytes (/μL)	221.259 (635-595000; SD 71.884)	186.433 (21000-557500; SD 70546)
Within normal range	3736 (85.1)	207 (72.9)
(140000-360000 c/μL)
Below normal range	503 (11.5)	72 (25.4)
(< 140000 c/μL)
Above normal range	150 (3.4)	5 (1.8)
(> 360000 c/μL)
GPT/ALT (U/L)	107 (4-1409; SD 103)	115 (20-591; SD 89)
Within normal range	882 (20.0)	27 (9.5)
(Female < 35 U/L)
Above normal range	3521 (80.0)	258 (90.5)
(Male ≥ 50 U/L;
Female ≥ 35 U/L)
GOT/AST (U/L)	74 (10-2880; SD 87)	92 (18-526; SD 71)
Within normal range	1530 (36.5)	43 (16.3)
(Male < 50 U/L;
Female < 35 U/L)
Above normal range	2658 (63.5)	221 (83.7)
(Male ≥ 50 U/L;
Female ≥ 35 U/L)
GGT (U/L)	96 (4-1871; SD 129)	111 (9-1240; SD 137)
Within normal range	2186 (50.2)	98 (35.4)
(Male < 66 U/L;
Female < 39 U/L)
Above normal range	2165 (49.8)	179 (64.6)
(Male ≥ 66 U/L;
Female ≥ 39 U/L)
INR
< 1.7	2758 (98.1)	182 (95.3)
1.7-2.3	31 (1.1)	4 (2.1)
> 2.3	22 (0.8)	5 (2.6)
Body mass index	25.2	26.5	0.000
(mean value)
Treatment naive	4038 (88.6)	253 (84.1)	0.0176
Estimated duration of infection (yr)	11.6	19.9	0.000
Histology available in Degree of Fibrosis	746 (16.4)	90 (29.9)	< 0.0001
P value adjusted			0.0003
(0-4 without unknown)
F0/1/2	533 (71.4)	48 (53.3)
F3/4	104 (14.0)	28 (31.1)
Unknown	109 (14.6)	14 (15.6)
APRI score			< 0.0001
< 1.5	3526 (85.7)	181 (70.2)
≥ 1.5	587 (14.3)	77 (29.8)
Duration of therapy	32.5	33.0	0.6250
(mean value) (wk)
Co-morbidities			0.6198
(with/none)
None	1792 (39.3)	114 (37.9)	-
With	2766 (60.7)	187 (62.1)	-
Cardiac	305 (6.7)	98 (32.6)	< 0.0001
Metabolic	204 (4.5)	53 (17.6)	< 0.0001
Drugs and alcoho	1469 (32.2)	10 (3.3)	< 0.0001
Psychogenic	768 (16.8)	26 (8.6)	< 0.0002
Skin	116 (2.5)	8 (2.7)	0.8500

SVR: Sustained virological response.