title: Interferon treatment of chronic hepatitis C in patients with hemophilia or von Willebrand's disease in Japan.
abstract: Seven patients with chronic hepatitis C, six hemophiliacs and a patient with von Willebrand's disease, were treated with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). Either 9 MU of recombinant IFN-alpha 2a or 3 MU of lymphoblastoid alpha-IFN was administered daily for 2 weeks and then three times a week for 22 weeks. Liver histology, hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes, and HCV-RNA levels in sera were investigated in all of the patients before IFN therapy was instituted. Liver histology was classified by the European classification. HCV genotyping conformed to the so-called Okamoto's classification. HCV-RNA levels in sera were quantitated by competitive polymerase chain reaction, using mutant RNA. Liver histology, HCV genotype, and serum HCV-RNA level (copies/ml) in each patient were: patient 1, chronic persistent hepatitis, type II, 3 x 10(3) respectively; patient 2, chronic active hepatitis (CAH) 2a, type III, 6 x 10(4); patient 3, CAH2a, type IV, 2 x 10(5); patient 4, CAH2b, type I, 2 x 10(7); patient 5, CAH2b, type II, 8 x 10(4); patient 6, CAH2b, type III, 7 x 10(6); and patient 7, CAH2b, type IV, 1 x 10(7). Sustained elimination of HCV was achieved in patient 3 and temporary elimination was achieved in patients 1 and 2. The other patients showed persistent HCV-RNA positivity in sera both during and after IFN treatment. Poor responsiveness to IFN was observed in patients with relatively progressive liver histology and high levels of HCV viremia.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Nara Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshiji
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imazu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakanani
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsumura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuriyama
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007564:Japan; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D014842:von Willebrand Diseases / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral