An emerging role for interferon in haemophiliacs with chronic hepatitis C?
The combination of interferon (IFN) and ribavirin is the current gold standard for treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with sustained remission rates of 35--40% being achieved in haemophilic patients. A similar beneficial effect of this combined therapy has been suggested even for patients with compensated liver cirrhosis and some authors have reported a possible role for IFN and ribavirin in the prevention or delay in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a well known complication of HCV infection in haemophiliacs. The absence, due to design difficulties, of definite randomized controlled clinical trials remains a handicap for the routine use of specific therapy of HCV infected patients with the aim of preventing HCC. A discussion of these important issues has been performed in this paper.
Aguilar
C
C
Department of Haematology, Hospital General del Insalud, Soria, Spain. caraguilar@excite.com
Lucia
J F
JF
Simón
M A
MA
D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons