title: Intravenous recombinant interferon-beta versus interferon-alpha-2b and ribavirin in combination for short-term treatment of chronic hepatitis C patients not responding to interferon-alpha. Multicenter Interferon Beta Italian Group Investigators.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the therapeutic role of intravenous interferon-beta in chronic hepatitis C patients unresponsive to a previous treatment with interferon-alpha.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred interferon-alpha non-responders were randomized to receive either intravenous recombinant interferon-beta or interferon-alpha-2b and ribavirin for 12 weeks. The responders in both groups were followed up for a further 48 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At week 12 a biochemical and virologic response was documented in 42% of the patients treated with interferon-beta and in 22% of the patients treated with combination therapy. A sustained response was observed in 21% of the patients treated with interferon-beta and in 13% of those treated with combination therapy, with similar differences on intention-to-treat analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Short-term treatment with intravenous interferon-beta seems to offer a chance for sustained response in a subset of interferon-alpha non-responders. The role of long-term therapy in these patients still remains to be explored.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Emergency Medicine, La Sapienza University, Ospedale Lazzaro Spallanzani, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barbaro
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Lorenzo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soldini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giancaspro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pellicelli
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grisorio
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barbarini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin; D016899:Interferon-beta