Interferon treatment of adenoviral conjunctivitis.
We conducted a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy of topical interferon in the treatment of adenoviral conjunctivitis. The study was designed to determine the efficacy of plasmid-derived alpha-2 interferon treatment with regard to the duration of clinical disease, virus shedding, and the occurrence of bilateral infection and subepithelial infiltrates. Interferon therapy was not found to have a statistically significant effect with regard to these factors in the 14 patients who completed 14 days of treatment in the study with interferon or a placebo. Interferon therapy was, however, associated with a tendency toward asymptomatic infection in the second eye when compared to the controls.
D000257:Adenoviridae Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D003231:Conjunctivitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D007372:Interferons