Short‐term interferon‐alfa therapy for acute hepatitis C: A randomized controlled trial

• Published in: Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) Vol. 39; no. 5; pp. 1213 - 1219
• Main Authors: Nomura, Hideyuki, Sou, Suketo, Tanimoto, Hironori, Nagahama, Takashi, Kimura, Yoichi, Hayashi, Jun, Ishibashi, Hiromi, Kashiwagi, Seizaburo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.05.2004; Wiley
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adult; Antiviral Agents - administration & dosage; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Hepacivirus - drug effects; Hepacivirus - genetics; Hepatitis C - drug therapy; Hepatitis C, Chronic - prevention & control; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Interferon-alpha - administration & dosage; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; RNA, Viral - analysis; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Viral diseases; Viral hepatitis; Infection; Short term; Viral hepatitis A; Therapy; Treatment; Alpha interferon; Viral disease; Acute; Gastroenterology; Digestive diseases; Hepatic disease; Viral hepatitis C
• ISSN: 0270-9139; 1527-3350
• DOI: 10.1002/hep.20196

Acute hepatitis C often progresses to chronic infection. We undertook a randomized controlled trial to determine whether short‐term therapy with interferon (IFN) during acute hepatitis C is effective in preventing the development of chronic hepatitis. Thirty patients with acute hepatitis C were randomized into 1 of 2 treatment groups. IFN therapy was initiated 8 weeks after the onset of acute hepatitis in the early‐intervention group and after 1 year of observation in the late‐intervention group. Short‐term therapy consisted of natural IFN‐alfa (6 million units) administered on consecutive days for a period of 4 weeks. Any signs of recrudescence of disease were immediately followed by interval IFN therapy (3 times weekly for 20 weeks). In the early‐intervention group, short‐term therapy was associated with a sustained virological response in 13 of 15 patients (87%). Follow‐up treatment was associated with a sustained virological response in both of the remaining 2 patients (100%). The sustained virological response rate was significantly higher in the early‐intervention group (87%, 13 of 15 patients after short‐term therapy alone, and 100%, 15 of 15 patients after short‐term with or without follow‐up therapy) than in the late‐intervention group (40%, 6 of 15 patients after short‐term therapy alone, and 53%, 8 of 15 patients after short‐term therapy with or without follow‐up therapy, P = .021 and P = .006, respectively). In conclusion, short‐term (4 weeks) IFN treatment of patients with acute hepatitis C may be associated with satisfactory results, if initiated at an early stage of the disease. (HEPATOLOGY 2004;39:1213–1219.)