Re-treatment with interferon-beta of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
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.
Pellicano
Rinaldo
R
U.O.A.D.U. Gastro-Hepatology, Hospital S Giovanni Battista (Molinette), Torino, Italy.
Palmas
Franco
F
Cariti
Giuseppe
G
Tappero
Gianfranco
G
Boero
Marco
M
Tabone
Marco
M
Suriani
Renzo
R
Pontisso
Patrizia
P
Pitaro
Michele
M
Rizzetto
Mario
M
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
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral; D016899:Interferon-beta