title: Treatment of chronic hepatitis B with interferon alfa-2b.
abstract: A total of 58 patients with histologically confirmed chronic viral hepatitis B and presence of hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV DNA) in the serum were randomized in a prospectively controlled trial. Thirty patients were treated with 3 megaunits of recombinant interferon alfa-2b (INTRON A, R Schering-Plough, Essex Corporation) subcutaneously thrice weekly for 4 months. Twenty-eight controls received no treatment. The post-treatment follow-up period consisted of 6 months. Twenty-eight treated patients and 27 controls completed the protocol. One female patient of the treatment group showed a complete response, and eight other treated patients (32%) showed a partial response to therapy. Three patients in the control group (11%) lost hepatitis B e antigen and HBV DNA spontaneously. This finding is statistically significant (p less than 0.05). The elimination of hepatitis B virus markers from the serum was associated with a normalization of aminotransferase activities in the serum. Reactivation of hepatitis was not observed after seroconversion.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Gastroenterologie und Hepatologie, Zentrum für Innere Medizin und Dermatologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baumgarten
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Markus
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wittenberg
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hintsche-Kilger
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Fengler
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Von Wussow
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Meisel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Klein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins