title: Treatment with ribavirin+alpha interferon in HCV chronic active hepatitis non-responders to interferon alone: preliminary results.
abstract: Alpha interferon (IFN-alpha) represents the best therapy for HCV active chronic hepatitis, but only 25% of treated patients achieve a complete recovery. Several attempts have been made to increase this percentage. The objective of our study is to verify whether the combination ribavirin (R)+ IFN-alpha can lead to positive results in non-responders to treatment with IFN-alpha alone. The preliminary results for 5 subjects, all non-responders to IFN, treated with R+ IFN for 60 days and then IFN alone for 4 months more show that during the R+IFN treatment, 2 subjects presented a reduction in transaminase; a month after the suspension of R, ALT returned to pre-treatment values. The results are preliminary but we can say that this combination in the proposed doses and times in these subjects, cannot be considered adequate to modify the natural course of this disease.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Malattie Infettive, OORR-FOGGIA, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scotto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mangano
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tantimonaco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000032:analysis; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin; D000410:Alanine Transaminase