title: Initial results with recombinant interferon alfa-2b in patients with chronic hepatitis C: the United States experience.
abstract: Early experience with recombinant interferon alfa-2b in chronic hepatitis C (HCV) has shown that normalisation of serum alanine aminotransferase activities and reduction in hepatic inflammation can be achieved in about 40% of patients. This occurs with loss of viral replication as measured by polymerase chain reaction for HCV-RNA. Further studies are needed to identify patients most likely to respond to treatment and to investigate the issues of non-response and relapse when treatment is stopped. Alternative interferon treatment regimens, as well as other drugs and combinations of agents, need to be investigated.
authors.affiliation: Section of Hepatobiliary Diseases, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville 32610-0214.
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005060:Europe; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins