Interferon treatment of chronic hepatitis C in patients with hemophilia or von Willebrand's disease in Japan

• Published in: Journal of gastroenterology Vol. 30; no. 3; p. 367
• Main Authors: Yoshikawa, M, Fukui, H, Kojima, H, Yoshiji, H, Sakamoto, T, Imazu, H, Nakanani, T, Matsumura, Y, Kuriyama, S, Yamao, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan 01.06.1995
• Subjects: Adult; Hemophilia A - complications; Hepacivirus - isolation & purification; Hepatitis C - blood; Hepatitis C - complications; Hepatitis C - pathology; Hepatitis C - therapy; Hepatitis, Chronic - blood; Hepatitis, Chronic - complications; Hepatitis, Chronic - pathology; Hepatitis, Chronic - therapy; Humans; Injections, Subcutaneous; Interferon-alpha - administration & dosage; Interferon-alpha - therapeutic use; Japan; Liver - pathology; Liver - virology; Middle Aged; Prognosis; RNA, Viral - analysis; von Willebrand Diseases - complications; Japan
• ISSN: 0944-1174; 1435-5922
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02347513

Seven patients with chronic hepatitis C, six hemophiliacs and a patient with von Willebrand's disease, were treated with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). Either 9 MU of recombinant IFN-alpha 2a or 3 MU of lymphoblastoid alpha-IFN was administered daily for 2 weeks and then three times a week for 22 weeks. Liver histology, hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes, and HCV-RNA levels in sera were investigated in all of the patients before IFN therapy was instituted. Liver histology was classified by the European classification. HCV genotyping conformed to the so-called Okamoto's classification. HCV-RNA levels in sera were quantitated by competitive polymerase chain reaction, using mutant RNA. Liver histology, HCV genotype, and serum HCV-RNA level (copies/ml) in each patient were: patient 1, chronic persistent hepatitis, type II, 3 x 10(3) respectively; patient 2, chronic active hepatitis (CAH) 2a, type III, 6 x 10(4); patient 3, CAH2a, type IV, 2 x 10(5); patient 4, CAH2b, type I, 2 x 10(7); patient 5, CAH2b, type II, 8 x 10(4); patient 6, CAH2b, type III, 7 x 10(6); and patient 7, CAH2b, type IV, 1 x 10(7). Sustained elimination of HCV was achieved in patient 3 and temporary elimination was achieved in patients 1 and 2. The other patients showed persistent HCV-RNA positivity in sera both during and after IFN treatment. Poor responsiveness to IFN was observed in patients with relatively progressive liver histology and high levels of HCV viremia.