title: Alpha-interferon treatment in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: alpha-Interferon has been shown to be the most promising antiviral agent in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in Caucasian patients. The experience with recombinant interferon alfa-2a and alfa-2b in four randomized controlled trials in Chinese adults and children is reviewed here. alpha-Interferon alone has little long-term benefit in the treatment of Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection, especially in patients who have normal or near normal serum aminotransferase levels. The response in patients with elevated aminotransferase levels appears to be better. The poor antiviral response in patients with normal aminotransferase levels is probably due to immunological tolerance to HBV induced by exposure to the virus in early life. Prednisone pretreatment does not seem to have any additional benefit to using interferon alone in these patients, while the effect in patients with elevated aminotransferase levels remains to be proven.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lok
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Wu
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: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Fung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D011241:Prednisone