title: Retreatment with interferon-alpha at dosages or period increased by 1.3 times is effective for treatment for transient responders and non-responders in chronic hepatitis C patients.
abstract: The objectives of retreatment with interferon (IFN) in chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) patients are sustained response and a reduction in the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, it is still unclear, as to which patients are candidates for retreatment with IFN. Eighteen transient responders (TRs) and 15 non-responders (NRs) to IFN therapy in CH-C received retreatment with IFNalpha. Of the 18 TRs, five showed sustained disappearance of hepatitis C virus, two showed sustained biochemical response, 10 continued as TR and one was a NR. Of the 15 NRs, six showed a TR while nine continued as NRs. Responsive cases, which included the virologically or biochemically sustained and transient responders, received either a dose of IFN 1.3 times greater or were treated for a period of 1.3 times longer in the retreatment than the original treatment. We submit that IFN treatment consisting of either a time period or a dosage 1.3 times those of the original IFN administration may be beneficial in the case of TR and NR in chronic hepatitis C patients.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji Kamigyo-ku, 602-8566, Kyoto, Japan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okanoue
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Daimon
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kirishima
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohnishi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagao
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itoh