title: Thrombocytopenia in patients with HCV-positive chronic hepatitis: efficacy of leucocyte interferon-alpha treatment.
abstract: Treating patients with HCV-associated thrombocytopenia is a problem, because the pathogenesis of thrombocytopenia is still unclear. We evaluated the clinical and haematological response to leucocyte interferon-alpha in 20 naive patients with chronic hepatitis C and thrombocytopenia (platelet count <140 x 10(9)/l for at least six months) without portal hypertension and/or hypersplenism. They were treated with leucocyte interferon-alpha (3 MU three times per week) for 12 months and followed up for 12 months. Biochemical (ALT) and virological (HCV-RNA) responses were determined. Two patients discontinued treatment because of hyperthyroidism. Of the 18 patients who completed treatment, 12 (66%) showed a biochemical response, 10 of whom (55.5%) also showed a virological response. At the end of follow-up, four patients (22%) showed a complete (biochemical and virological) response. During treatment, platelet counts decreased to less than 10-20% of pretreatment values in most patients. Three of the four patients with a complete response showed a platelet increase during treatment and throughout the follow-up period. In HCV-associated thrombocytopenia leucocyte interferon-alpha is well tolerated and in cases of sustained virological inhibition is able to ameliorate the disease by increasing the platelet count.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, San Donato Hospital, Arezzo, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caremani
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tacconi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha