title: Interferon alfa-2b treatment of HBeAg negative/serum HBV DNA positive chronic active hepatitis type B.
abstract: A randomized controlled trial of recombinant interferon alfa-2b has been initiated in patients with chronic active hepatitis who were negative for serum hepatitis B e antigen but positive for serum hepatitis B virus DNA and hepatitis B core antigen expression in the liver. Twenty-five patients received interferon alfa-2b 3 million units thrice weekly for 14-16 weeks and 25 served as untreated controls. Seventeen patients in the treatment and 18 in the control group have already completed a 12-month period of observation. Interferon alfa-2b was well tolerated by all patients. At the end of therapy, complete responses, defined as disappearance of hepatitis B virus DNA from serum and return of alanine aminotransferase to normal, were observed in 10 (59%) of the 17 treated patients compared to none in the control group (p less than 0.01). Twelve months after the onset of interferon alfa-2b therapy, 11 (65%) of the 17 treated patients were complete responders compared to 2 (11%) of 18 in the control group (p less than 0.01). Fifty per cent (4/8) of complete responders to interferon alfa-2b therapy, followed for 16-24 months, experienced reactivations of hepatitis B virus replication with reappearance of serum hepatitis B virus DNA and a return of serum alanine aminotransferase activity. The response to interferon alfa-2b therapy appeared to be independent of pre-treatment serum alanine aminotransferase and hepatitis B virus DNA levels.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Communicable Liver Diseases, Academic Department of Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hadziyannis
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bramou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Makris
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moussoulis
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zignego
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Papaioannou
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; 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; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000410:Alanine Transaminase