[Treatment with natural interferon (alfaferone) in clinical practice--our experience].
The aim of the study was to estimate effectiveness and adverse events of alfaferone therapy in hepatitis B and/or C.


METHODS
25 patients treated with alfaferone in Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology in Bydgoszcz were included into the study. That group contained 6 women, 8 men (age 19-68) and 11 children age 9-17. The natural interferon was applicated to 2 patients with acute hepatitis C, to 11 patients with chronic hepatitis C combined with ribavirine, to 10 with chronic hepatitis B and to 2 patients coinfected with HBV and HCV with ribavirin.


RESULTS
In 6 cases alfaferone was given as retherapy, to following 3 patients because of bad toleration of recombinant interferon alpha (INFalpha) the drug was switched to natural interferon. 16 patients were naive. Main adverse events were: flu like syndrome (9), psychiatric disorders (8), which in 2 cases were the cause of discontinuing therapy. Leucopenia (6) and thrombocytopenia (5) observed before treatment didn't get worse. Thrombocytopenia below of 50,000/ml wasn't contraindication for use of alfaferone. HCV viremia was undetected in one case with acute hepatitis C. SVR was reached in 5 patients with chronic hepatitis C. Two of these 5 patients had been unsuccessfully treated with INFalpha before. Seroconversion HBeAg/anti-HBe was observed in 1 patient and undetectable HBV in 3 cases. The therapeutic effect wasn't achieved in 2 patients coinfected with HBV and HCV.


CONCLUSIONS
Alfaferone can be used in hepatitis B and/or C treatment in cases with leuco- and thrombocytopenia, as retherapy and as continuation of treatment with INFalpha when hematological complication appears. Therapeutic effectiveness was observed in hepatitis C.
Dybowska
Dorota
D
Katedra i Klinika Chorób Zakaźnych i Hepatologii CM UMK. d.dybowska@wsoz.pl
Halota
Waldemar
W
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012254:Ribavirin