A pilot study of long-term weekly interferon-beta administration for chronic hepatitis B.
Interferon-beta was given weekly for 24 wk, at a dose of 3 million units, intravenously, to 10 patients with chronic hepatitis B who were serologically positive for HBsAg and HBeAg. Their condition was followed for 6 months after the end of therapy. Both serum hepatitis B virus-associated DNA-polymerase activity and alanine aminotransferase level became significantly lower during therapy and during the 6 months after the end of therapy than at the beginning of therapy. In five of 10 patients, the seroconversion from HBeAg positive to anti-HBe positive had occurred by 6 months after the end of therapy, and in four of these five patients, serum alanine aminotransferase level became normal. Weekly interferon-beta administration over 6 months seems effective in inducing seroconversion and in normalizing serum alanine aminotransferase level.
Kagawa
T
T
Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
Morizane
T
T
Saito
H
H
Tsunematsu
S
S
Tada
S
S
Kumagai
N
N
Tsuchimoto
K
K
Sugiura
H
H
Mukai
M
M
Tsuchiya
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000032:analysis; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D016899:Interferon-beta; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase