title: A randomized controlled trial of recombinant interferon alpha-2b in the treatment of Chinese patients with acute post-transfusion hepatitis C.
abstract: To evaluate the efficacy of recombinant interferon alpha-2b in the treatment of patients with acute post-transfusion hepatitis C, a randomized controlled trial was conducted in 33 acute post-transfusion hepatitis C patients; 16 patients received 3 million units of subcutaneously injected recombinant interferon alpha-2b 3 times a week for 3 months and 17 patients without specific treatment were used as controls. At the end of the interferon treatment, 13 (81%) patients in the interferon-treated group normalized serum alanine aminotransferase compared with only six (35%) patients in the control group (p < 0.01). One year after completion of the interferon treatment, nine (56%) patients in the interferon-treated group and six (38%) patients in the control group normalized serum alanine aminotransferase (p = 0.35). Serum HCV-RNA measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was positive in all patients at the time of enrollment and then became undetectable in 13 (81%) patients in the interferon-treated group and two (12%) patients in the control group at the end of interferon treatment (p < 0.001). One year after completion of the interferon treatment, seven (44%) patients in the interferon-treated group and two (13%) patients in the control group had persistent undetectable serum HCV-RNA (p = 0.08). Using a logistic regression model, the lower pretreatment level of serum HCV-RNA measured by quantitative branched DNA signal amplification assay was the only predictor for a favorable response to the interferon treatment in acute hepatitis C patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lo
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001483:Base Sequence; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins