Interferon antibodies in patients with chronic HBV infection treated with recombinant interferon.
In different trials, a total of 46 adults and 12 children suffering from chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and who were HBV-DNA- and HBeAg-positive were treated with recombinant interferon-alpha (rIFN alpha)-2A. The interferon was administered intramuscularly in different doses ranging from 1.5 MU to 20 MU/m2 of body surface, two or three times weekly during 4-6 months. Specific detection of anti-IFN antibodies by enzymoimmunoassay (EIA), radioimmunoassay (RIA) and biological assays during treatment and follow-up periods were performed. None of the children developed anti-IFN antibodies. During therapy, 12 adult patients (26%) were found to have anti-IFN antibodies. A total of five patients became HBV-DNA-negative during therapy, but in three cases a reactivation of viral replication occurred subsequently. In these three patients, the appearance of anti-IFN antibodies occurred prior to or at the same time as HBV-DNA loss. The other seven patients did not respond to therapy. In conclusion, the development of anti-IFN antibodies during rIFN alpha treatment of chronic hepatitis B may modify the response to therapy, especially if they appear before HBV-DNA negativization.
Porres
J C
JC
Gastroenterology Department, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain.
Carreño
V
V
Ruíz
M
M
Marrón
J A
JA
Bartolomé
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
D000906:Antibodies; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins