[Early indexes to predict the therapeutic effect of interferon on chronic hepatitis B].
OBJECTIVE
To summarize the clinical changing characters of the clinical markers after interferon treatment in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and make out practical indexes to predict the effect.


METHODS
150 CHB patients were randomly divided into two groups: therapeutic group (90) and control group (60) in the prospective controlled trial. The levels of endogenous interferon before treatment, interferon antibody at the end of the second month and fourth month after treatment, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and HBV DNA in the serum were detected. Then the data was analysed to find out indexes for predicting the effect.


RESULTS
(1) The clearance rate of HBeAg had no significant difference in age except for 20 - 30 and 30 - 40 (t > 2.331 2, P < 0.01). (2) It was more effective if ALT level was higher than 400 U/L before treatment and it decreased more than 50% two months after treatment. (3) The patients whose HBV DNA was negative (dot hybridization) or less than 10(6) copies/ml before treatment had higher rate of HBeAg clearance. (4) There was no effect on patients whose interferon antibody turned positive at the end of the second month. (5)A predictive method of comprehensive factors was made out, whose sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 80%, 100% and 90%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The clinical characters of these Chinese patients are different from those of the westerners and the effects of interferon have close relation to the levels of ALT, HBV DNA and interferon antibody.
He
Qing
Q
East Lake Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518020, China.
Chen
Shou-chun
SC
Wang
Song
S
Jiang
Xiao-ling
XL
Xu
Cheng
C
Zhang
Bin
B
Li
Li-xiong
LX
Tang
Hong
H
Yang
Yao
Y
Wang
Wen-ya
WY
Zhao
Lian-san
LS
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase