title: Treatment of early chronic delta hepatitis with lymphoblastoid alpha interferon: a pilot study.
abstract: Seven carriers of the Hepatitis B surface antigen who had acquired a form of chronic hepatitis D in the recent past were treated with lymphoblastoid alpha interferon (IFN) (10 MU three times weekly for 4 months, 6 MU three times weekly for other 8 months, with a 12 month follow-up after treatment). At the beginning of the study, these patients had a chronic active hepatitis with intrahepatic hepatitis D antigen but without signs of cirrhosis. By the end of therapy, five had normal amino-transferases and no trace of HDV-RNA in the serum. In two patients the liver enzymes and viremia relapsed during follow up; biochemical and virologic remission persisted after discontinuation of therapy in the other three patients. In the early non-cirrhotic stage of chronic hepatitis D, IFN may play a more consistent therapeutic role than in the average advanced case of the disease. Cytokine should be used as soon as a diagnosis of progressive hepatitis D is reached.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Gastroenterologia, Ospedale Molinette, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marzano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ottobrelli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spezia
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Daziano
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Soranzo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rizzetto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral