Permanent inhibition of viral replication induced by low dosage of human leukocyte interferon in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
Fourteen out of 28 HBsAg/HBeAg-positive carriers with chronic persistent and active hepatitis were randomly assigned to human leukocyte interferon (a-IFN) treatment for three months. The remaining 14 patients served as controls. Each treated subject received a standard i.m. dose of 0.7-1.0 X 10(5)/kg/day reference units of a-IFN for 28 consecutive days, and then the same dose twice a week for two months. This treatment regimen was well tolerated, and no remarkable side effects were recorded. At six months the number of patients who permanently lost HBV-DNA from serum was significantly higher in the treated group (p = 0.006) than in the untreated group. These results suggest that a less expensive and well tolerated treatment regimen based on low dosage of a-IFN may be as effective in producing permanent inhibition of hepatitis B virus replication as a treatment regimen based on larger dosage.
Pastore
G
G
Istituto Policatterdra di Clinical Medica e Malattie Infettive, University' di Bari, Italy.
Santantonio
T
T
Monno
L
L
Milella
M
M
Luchena
N
N
Angarano
G
G
D000328:Adult; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000628:therapy*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000502:physiology*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D013997:Time Factors; D014779:Virus Replication
D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D007370:Interferon Type I