Hepatitis E virus infection: Epidemiology and treatment implications

Table 4 Treatment of chronic hepatitis E virus with pegylated interferon-α therapy

Ref.	Patient profile	Peg-IFN-α regimen	Result	Adverse effects
Kamar et al[101]	29-year-old man with liver transplantation	Peg-IFN-α-2a for 12 wk (135 μg/wk)	Liver enzyme levels decreased. HEV RNA levels remained undetectable until week 12	At week 12, signs of acute humoral rejection in liver biopsy
	26-year-old man with liver transplantation	Peg-IFN-α-2a for 12 wk (135 μg/wk)	HEV RNA levels undetectable by week 12; liver enzyme levels normalized by week 12
	58-year-old man with liver transplantation liver cirrhosis from chronic HEV infection	Peg-IFN-α-2a for 12 wk (135 μg/wk)	HEV RNA was redetected 2 wk after completion of treatment; Liver enzyme levels normalized by 3 mo of therapy
Haagsma et al[102]	37-year-old woman with liver transplantation	Peg-IFN-α-2b for 52 wk (80 μg/wk declined to 60 μg/wk)	Serum HEV RNA sustained undetectable during 3 mo follow-up; serum liver enzyme became normalized
	59-year-old man with liver transplantation	Peg-IFN-α-2b 150 μg/wk, dose reduction due to leukopenia	HEV viral load and aminotransferases declined, but Peg-IFN discontinued from lack of further efficacy, HEV RNA level undetectable at 4 wk after the discontinuation of Peg-IFN and aminotransferase normalized	Leukopenia
Alric et al[108]	57-year-old man with hairy cell leukemia	Discontinued at week 16, Peg-IFN-α-2b 1 μg/kg per week for 3 mo	Achieved a complete virologic response by week 4
Kamar et al[109]	24-year-old man with kidney transplantation, kidney failure from chronic HEV infection	3-mo Peg-IFN-α-2a 135 μg/wk	Serum RNA undetectable after 5 mo, SVR for 6 mo after treatment	Acute rejection of the kidney allograft by month 3 of Peg-IFN therapy

Peg-IFN: Pegylated interferon; SVR: Sustained virological response; HEV: Hepatitis E virus.