title: The efficacy of a herbal medicine (Mao-to) in combination with intravenous natural interferon-beta for patients with chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1b and high viral load: a pilot study.
abstract: Patients with chronic hepatitis C, with a high serum viral load (> or = 1 Meq/ml) and genotype 1b seem to be resistant to interferon (IFN) therapy. To evaluate the efficacy of a herbal medicine (Mao-to) in combination with natural IFN-beta for the treatment of these patients, eighteen Japanese patients were enrolled in this study. Every patient received 6 million units (MU) of IFN-beta intravenously daily for 8 weeks. Mao-to was given orally 3-4 times a day during the IFN-beta administration, Sixteen of the 18 patients (89%) became negative for serum HCV RNA at the end of treatment, but only 2 of them (11%) remained negative for the virus RNA at 6 months of follow-up. Serum ALT levels normalized in 17 patients (94%) at 2 weeks of follow-up after the cessation of therapy, and 11 patients (61%) retained normal ALT levels for more than 6 months of follow-up. This rate of biochemical response was high as compared with that of therapy with IFN-beta alone (19%) in the largest IFN-beta trial in Japan. Serum hyaluronic acid levels were decreased significantly from 147.0 +/- 110.5 ng/ml to 77.4 +/- 67.4 ng/ml in the sustained biochemical response group (P = 0.003). None of the patients needed to interrupt therapy because of side effects of IFN-beta. Thus, Mao-to administration together with IFN-beta treatment could increase the sustained biochemical response rate, and reduce liver fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Japanese Oriental Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sugitani. Kainuma@ms.toyama-mpu.ac.jp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kainuma
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kogure
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kohta
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mitsuma
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Terasawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D029001:Herbal Medicine; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000097:blood; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D016899:Interferon-beta; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid