Long-term follow-up evaluation in HCV chronic hepatitis treated with alpha-2b interferon. A comparison of two protocols

In a long-term study (27 months) of patients affected by C-virus active hepatitis we have evaluated the effect of decreasing the dose of interferon by 50% and by 75% with respect to the initial efficacious dose (6 MU tiw). Sixty patients received recombinant interferon alpha-2b(r-IFN- alpha-2b) 6 MU...

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Published inThe Italian journal of gastroenterology Vol. 26; no. 1; p. 16
Main Authors Budillon, G, Cimino, L, Del Vecchio Blanco, C, Mazzacca, G, Iaquinto, G, D'Ascoli, B, Lampasi, F, Di Sapio, M, Mattera, D, Sapio D [corrected to Di Sapio, M ]
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Italy 01.01.1994
Subjects
Adult
Aged
Alanine Transaminase - blood
Alanine Transaminase - drug effects
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Hepatitis C - blood
Hepatitis C - therapy
Hepatitis, Chronic - blood
Hepatitis, Chronic - therapy
Humans
Interferon-alpha - administration & dosage
Interferon-alpha - adverse effects
Male
Middle Aged
Recombinant Proteins
Recurrence
Time Factors
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Summary:In a long-term study (27 months) of patients affected by C-virus active hepatitis we have evaluated the effect of decreasing the dose of interferon by 50% and by 75% with respect to the initial efficacious dose (6 MU tiw). Sixty patients received recombinant interferon alpha-2b(r-IFN- alpha-2b) 6 MU tiw for two months followed by 3 MU for seven months (Group A), and 60 patients received r-IFN alpha-2b 6 MU tiw for two months followed by 1.5 MU for seven months (Group B). Three patients in group B failed to return to follow-up and were not considered in subsequent evaluations. Side effects such as to cause suspension of treatment occurred only during the first two months of the study at 6 MU of interferon (3 patients in group A and 6 in group B). During the two months at 6 MU, transaminase values returned to normal in 94 patients (80%). At the end of follow-up, 49 of these patients (42% of the 117 patients examined; or 48.3% in group A and 35.1% in group B) had normal transaminase levels. In no case did the anti-HCV test become negative. On a reduced dose of interferon, relapses occurred more frequently in group B (21.4%) than in group A (9.6%), but the difference was not significant. No difference between responders and non-responders, including relapsing patients, was observed in relation to gender, age, presence of cirrhosis, presence of B-virus antibodies and initial levels of serum transaminase.
ISSN:0392-0623