Daily interferon monotherapy for chronic hepatitis C in patients with normal or near-normal serum alanine transaminase levels: a comparison of two protocols.
OBJECTIVE
Up to 30% of the 5 million patients with chronic hepatitis C in the United States have normal serum alanine transaminase (ALT) levels. These individuals have not been treated aggressively, and reported response rates have been low. No study has targeted patients treated in a community practice setting.


METHODS
Consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C with normal or near-normal serum ALT levels seen over a 2-year period in a community gastroenterology-hepatology practice were randomly assigned to receive either 3 MU or 6 MU daily interferon (IFN)-alpha-2a monotherapy for 12 months.


RESULTS
Sixteen patients (8 in each treatment arm) qualified for study. End-of-treatment response was 87.5% with 6 MU IFN daily and 75% with 3 MU IFN daily, whereas sustained virologic response was 62.5% and 50%, respectively. Genotype 1 patients had an improved outcome with the higher 6 MU dose.


CONCLUSIONS
Daily IFN monotherapy achieves high response rates in patients with chronic hepatitis C with normal or near-normal ALT. Present-day pegylated interferon regimes can be expected to be as effective.
Srinivas
Dasarathy
D
Slidell Memorial Hospital, Slidell, LA, USA.
Mani
Haresh
H
Crumpler
Charles C
CC
Van Thiel
David H
DH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007372:Interferons; D000410:Alanine Transaminase