title: A controlled trial of interferon with or without prednisone priming for chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: In a randomized, controlled trial of recombinant interferon alfa-2b with or without prednisone priming in Chinese adults with chronic hepatitis B virus infection, stratified randomization for pretreatment serum alanine aminotransferase levels was done. Partial or complete antiviral responses were achieved in 17 (21.5%) of 79 treated patients and 3 (8.3%) of 36 controls (P = 0.14). The response to interferon treatment was significantly better in those who had elevated pretreatment transaminase levels and comparable to that reported in white patients [15 (38.5%) of 39 patients compared with 2 (5%) of 40 who had normal pretreatment transaminase levels (P = 0.0005)]. The spontaneous seroconversion rate was also higher among the controls with elevated transaminase levels [3 (18.8%) of 16 compared with 0 of 20 with normal transaminase levels], but this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.16). Among the interferon-treated patients, prednisone priming appeared to have a marginal benefit over treatment with interferon alone in patients with elevated transaminase levels (43% vs. 33%), but not in those with normal transaminase levels (0% vs. 9.5%). It was confirmed that Chinese patients with normal transaminase levels respond very poorly to interferon alfa therapy. However, the response was significantly better in patients with elevated transaminase levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lok
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: O C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Lauder
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D011241:Prednisone