[Clinical study on long-term treatment of chronic hepatitis C with interferon].
We treated 41 chronic hepatitis C patients with recombinant interferon alpha 2a, 6 X 10(6) IU/day, for three weeks daily followed by intermittent therapy, 3 X 10(6) IU/day, three times weekly for 6 months and more. After 6 months of intermittent therapy, serum aminotransferases (AST, ALT) decreased to normal or nearly normal levels in 29 of 41 patients (70.7%) with histological improvement. The HCV (C100-3) antibody disappeared during and after IFN therapy in 7 of 34 HCV antibody positive patients (20.6%). Serum aminotransferases levels of all such patients were normalized or nearly normalized. The IFN antibody was detected in 8 of 41 patients (19.5%) including one whose IFN antibody was already present before starting IFN therapy. IFN treatment was discontinued in 22 of 41 patients (53.7%) because they responded completely or nearly completely to IFN therapy. All of the 22 patients have been maintaining normal aminotransferase levels for 1 to 24 months (mean, 12 months) after the treatment period. We conclude that long-term IFN therapy is greatly beneficial in controlling hepatic inflammatory changes in chronic hepatitis C.
Shoji
S
S
First Department of Medicine, Teikyo University School of Medicine.
Kurata
M
M
Makita
A
A
Hosoi
H
H
Sakai
T
T
Takikawa
H
H
Miyake
K
K
Yamanaka
M
M
Kato
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins