title: Ten year follow-up of patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The impact of the treatment with interferon (IFN) on the natural history of chronic hepatitis C is not defined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long term effect of the treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 31 patients with chronic hepatitis C (9 with cirrhosis) consecutively treated with recombinant alpha 2a interferon (r alpha 2a IFN), the evolution of the disease at 10 years from the therapy was evaluated by means of upper endoscopy, liver ultrasonography (US), liver function tests and hepatitis C virus (HCV) viremia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 10/31 patients previously classified as responders, only 1 has signs of evolution to cirrhosis; HCV-RNA is still present in 2. Among 21 non-responder patients, 5 developed hepatocarcinoma (HCC) and 4 died during the follow-up; HCV-RNA is present in all the patients still alive. The 6 patients already cirrhotic when treated have clinical signs of progression to Child class B and C. The biochemical, ultrasonographical and endoscopical evaluation shows onset of cirrhosis in 7 of the others.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with chronic hepatitis C who respond to treatment with interferon have good outcome and rare evolution to cirrhosis. The treatment does not seem to influence the natural history of the disease in non-responders.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Medica 1, Università di Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ajello
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Freni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spadaro
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alessi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Impellizzeri
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Consolo
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Resta
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ferraú
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins