title: Daily interferon monotherapy for chronic hepatitis C in patients with normal or near-normal serum alanine transaminase levels: a comparison of two protocols.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Slidell Memorial Hospital, Slidell, LA, USA.
authors.forename: Dasarathy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Srinivas
authors.forename: Haresh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mani
authors.forename: Charles C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Crumpler
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Van Thiel
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007372:Interferons; D000410:Alanine Transaminase