Interferon for chronic hepatitis C in patients cured of malignancy.
Six patients with chronic hepatitis C who were cured of malignancy were treated with recombinant interferon-alpha at the dose of 4 MU/m2 for 12 months; the post-treatment follow up period was 12 months. Therapy was stopped within 6 months in three patients because of persistently abnormal alanine aminotransferase levels. In the remaining three patients, a complete normalization of alanine aminotransferase levels was obtained during treatment but it was not maintained after the end of interferon therapy. In addition, no patient cleared hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid in serum. These results suggest that recombinant interferon is not effective in patients with chronic hepatitis C who were cured of a previous malignancy.
Department of Paediatrics, University of Padova, Italy.
S
S
Cesaro
F
F
Rossetti
L
L
De Moliner
C
C
Crivellaro
L
L
Zanesco
F
F
Bortolotti
D000293:Adolescent; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000410:Alanine Transaminase