[A report of recombinant interferon-alpha therapy in 19 patients with acute hepatitis B].
OBJECTIVE
In patients whose HBsAg are still positive after 8 weeks of acute hepatitis B attack, the chronic rate will increase. We try to treat them with IFN for reducing the rate of chronicity.


METHODS
19 patients were injected with rIFN-alpha 3 MU, q.o.d. for 12 weeks(treatment group), those who didn't have anti-HBs response after treatment were vaccinated with hepatitis B vaccine(30 micrograms, i.m., once weekly for 3 weeks); 15 patients received common therapy except rIFN-alpha(control group).


RESULTS
HBsAg negative seroconversion rate was 95.0% (18/19) in treatment group and 53.0% (8/15) in control group(P < 0.05). No one responsed for anti-HBs in 18 HBsAg negatively converted patients in treatment group, but in control group 87.5% of HBsAg negatively converted patients developed anti-HBs (P < 0.001). Vaccinating the patients of treatment group, who didn't developed anti-HBs, with hepatitis B vaccine, 94.0% of them developed anti-HBs. After 24 to 240 week follow-up, no one relapsed in treatment group, in control group 8 HBsAg negative patients didn't replase, 6 out of 7 HBsAg positive patients were still positive at the termination and follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
The therapy with rIFN-alpha can reduce the chronic rate in the patients with acute HBV infection.
Li
X
X
Beijing Ditan Hospital, Beijing 100011.
Cui
Z
Z
Zhang
F
F
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins