title: Interferon retreatment of nonresponders with HCV-RNA-positive chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: Interferon has been shown to be an effective treatment for some patients with chronic hepatitis C. In this study, the value of retreatment of nonresponders to interferon was investigated. Thirty-eight patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA-positive chronic hepatitis C who had been treated with beta-interferon but still showed an alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level > 50 KU upon completion of therapy were retreated with alpha-interferon. Eight patients (21.1%) had normalization of ALT levels for at least 6 months after the completion of retreatment. The factors related to normalization of ALT levels after interferon retreatment were studied. Of 16 patients with transient HCV-RNA negativity 1 month after the initial interferon therapy, 7 (43.8%) had a complete response, with normalization of ALT levels and undetectable HCV-RNA, more than 6 months after interferon retreatment. On the other hand, of the 22 patients with HCV-RNA activity 1 month after the initial interferon therapy, only 1 (4.5%) had a complete response. Multivariate analysis, using a multiple logistic model, indicated that a complete response to readministration of interferon was most strongly correlated to transient negative conversion for HCV-RNA after the initial course of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arase
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kumada
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chayama
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsubota
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Koida
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saitoh
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D016899:Interferon-beta; D000410:Alanine Transaminase