title: Comparison of the long-term effects of treatment with oral and parenteral interferon alpha in chronic viral hepatitis patients.
abstract: This report presents the interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) treatment results for 75 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) (51 cases) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) (24 cases) induced hepatitis in maximal 61 months follow-up. Among the group of 51 patients with chronic HBV hepatitis, 35 were treated orally with IFN-alpha in the form of lozenges in low daily doses (37.5-150 U). The treatment was completed in 32 cases. The remaining 16 patients with chronic HBV hepatitis completed the treatment with parenteral IFN-alpha (3 x 10(6) U, 3 times a week). Positive results measured by the use of seroconversion in the HBe-antigen system were obtained for 68.7% (5-61 months follow-up) and 56.2% (7-44 months follow-up) of the patients treated with oral and parenteral IFN-alpha, respectively. Among the group of 24 patients with chronic HCV hepatitis, the first 6 patients were initially treated with IFN-alpha in the form of lozenges, in low daily doses. Biochemical remission was not achieved in these patients; genotype 1b was documented in 4 of them. Both, the first 6 patients (after a break) and the remaining 18 were treated with IFN-alpha parenterally, as in HBV patients. Temporary clinical and biochemical remission was achieved in 62.5% of the cases during the treatment, however the durable remission observed during 6-29 months of follow-up was achieved in 20.4 of the cases only.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Infectious Diseases, of Institute of Internal Diseases, Medical Academy, Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zielińska
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Korczak-Rogoń
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paszkiewicz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kowalik
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cummins
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Georgiades
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000628:therapy*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000628:therapy*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors; D016898:Interferon-alpha