title: Treatment of chronic hepatitis B with human lymphoblastoid interferon: results of a controlled trial.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of human lymphoblastoid interferon (Wellferon) in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. To date 70 patients have entered the study, 33 randomized to receive interferon at doses of 5 MU/m2 i.m. daily for the first 4 weeks and three times weekly for 5 months thereafter and 31 acted as controls. Seventy-nine per cent of the treated group permanently cleared HBV DNA compared with 48% of the control group (p = 0.01): 69% of the treated patients and 38% of the controls who eliminated HBV DNA cleared HBeAg, HBeAb (p = 0.02). Twenty-four per cent of the treated patients and 3% (p = 0.01) of the control group had clearance of HBsAg and seroconversion to HBsAb. From these results it was concluded that interferon had a therapeutic effect on Italian heterosexual patients with chronic hepatitis B viral replication.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Medica e Gastroenterologia, Università di Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazzella
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Villanova
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdu-Ahmed
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barbara
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saracco
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rizzetto
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cancellieri
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roda
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007558:Italy; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D007370:Interferon Type I