title: Treatment of HCV liver disease by recombinant interferon alpha.
abstract: Interferon alpha has confirmed its efficacy for the therapy of chronic hepatitis C. Half of the patients treated will normalize their plasma ALT at the end of a 6-month course of 3 MU thrice a week. This biochemical response is associated with a reduction of HCV RNA (viraemia) from serum and with significant improvement of liver histology. Despite those beneficial effects, 50% of treatment responders generally relapse after treatment arrest. Increasing doses to 6 MU and/or the duration of interferon therapy increases the proportion of long-term sustained responders. Combining therapy with ribavirin, a nucleoside analogue, also appears to have a similar effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Hôtel-Dieu, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bailly
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Si
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Si
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trepo
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007370:Interferon Type I; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000410:Alanine Transaminase