title: Re-treatment with interferon-beta of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of interferon-beta (IFN-beta) in the re-treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C who did not respond to IFN-alpha monotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients (24 men and six women; mean age, 41 +/- 13 (SD) years; range, 23-62 years), with chronic hepatitis C that was non-responsive to a standard course of IFN-alpha therapy, were re-treated with recombinant human IFN-beta-1a. All patients received IFN-beta, 12 MIU subcutaneously, three times weekly for 3 months, after which time patients' responses were evaluated. Responders (normal alanine aminotransferase, and negative for serum hepatitis C virus RNA) continued to receive IFN-beta, 12 MIU, for a further 3 months. Non-responders had their dose increased to 18 MIU for the remaining 3 months of treatment. After 6 months of treatment, therapy was stopped and patients were followed-up for a further 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, six (20%) of the 30 patients exhibited a response at the end of treatment. One patient (3.3%) maintained a sustained virological response at the end of post-treatment follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment with recombinant IFN-beta, at doses of up to 18 MIU for 6 months, is safe and well tolerated. However, the results of the trial do not support the use of IFN-beta monotherapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C that is resistant to IFN-alpha.
authors.affiliation: U.O.A.D.U. Gastro-Hepatology, Hospital S Giovanni Battista (Molinette), Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Rinaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pellicano
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Palmas
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cariti
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tappero
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boero
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tabone
authors.forename: Renzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suriani
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pontisso
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pitaro
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rizzetto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral; D016899:Interferon-beta