Therapy of active chronic hepatitis with recombinant alpha 2b-interferon: an 18 month follow-up.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of interferon therapy in patients with "active" chronic hepatitis.


METHODS
A total of 115 patients with histological diagnosis of active chronic hepatitis were enrolled in the study and treated with recombinant alpha 2b-interferon at a dosage of 3 MU, 3 times a week, for a 6 month period. Patients who showed a complete normalization of serum aminotransferase levels were followed for further 12 months, in which no treatment was performed.


RESULTS
After 6 months of treatment, 50 (43.4%) patients showed normalized serum aminotransferase levels and among these "responders", 18 (36%) showed a persistent normalization 12 months after stopping interferon therapy. Only 7 patients at the end of the study agreed to a second liver biopsy which showed a decrease in Knodell's index and a clear-cut reduction of inflammation and lobular necrosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Interferon is useful for the treatment of chronic active anti-HCV positive hepatitis but the beneficial responses are often transient. Future therapeutic strategies and the development of direct assay for HCV in serum and liver are necessary to understand the real role of interferon in chronic anti-HCV positive hepatitis.
Bresci
G
G
Department of Gastroenterology, USL 12, Pisa, Italy.
Parisi
G
G
Banti
S
S
Bertoni
M
M
D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000201:enzymology / Q000628:therapy*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000201:enzymology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood
D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000637:Transaminases