Human leucocyte interferon-alpha in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C

• Published in: Digestive and liver disease Vol. 33; no. 4; pp. 347 - 352
• Main Authors: Mazzoran, L., Zorat, F., Chemello, L., Crocè, L.S., Rigato, I., Cavalletto, L., Bernardinello, E., Tiribelli, C., Alberti, A., Pozzato, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2001
• Subjects: Alanine Transaminase - blood; Antiviral Agents - administration & dosage; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; antiviral therapy; chronic hepatitis C; Drug Administration Schedule; Female; Hepatitis C, Chronic - drug therapy; human leucacyte interferon alpha; Humans; Interferon-alpha - administration & dosage; Interferon-alpha - therapeutic use; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; RNA, Viral - blood; Time Factors; human leucacyte interferon alpha; antiviral therapy; chronic hepatitis C
• ISSN: 1590-8658; 1878-3562
• DOI: 10.1016/S1590-8658(01)80090-6

Aim. To assess the efficacy of different schedules of human leucocyte interferon α in chronic hepatitis C. Patients and Methods. A total of 213 naive patients with chronic hepatitis C were treated with 4 different schedules of human leucocyte interferon alpha. Sustained response was defined as persistently normal alanine amino transferase values with negative serum hepatitis C virus-RNA up to 12 months after therapy withdrawal. Results. Rates of sustained response were 16% with 3 MU tiw for 6 months, 33% with 6 MU tiw for 5 months after a priming dose of 9 MU tiw for a month, 32% with 3 MU tiw for 12 months and 20% with 3 MU daily for 6 months. The major factors affecting the response rate were age and the hepatitis C virus genotype, as a sustained response was significantly higher in patients under 45 years and infected by hepatitis C virus types other than hepatitis C virus-1. Treatment was well tolerated and side-effects and drop-out events were similar to those described with other types of α-interferons. Conclusions. Human leucocyte interferon a appears to be equivalent to recombinant interferon-α in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.