title: Interferon-alpha therapy in Sicilian and Sardinian polytransfused thalassaemic patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our study was designed to evaluate the effects of 2 dosage schedules of recombinant interferon (IFN)-alpha (IFNalpha-2a and IFNalpha-2b) in reducing serum ALT and eradicating serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in beta-thalassaemic patients with chronic hepatitis C.
  
  
  METHODS
  38 Sicilian beta-thalassaemic patients (22 males and 16 females) received intramuscular IFNalpha-2a (Roferon-A((R)); Roche) 5 MU/m(2) 3 times weekly for 6 months, followed by 3 MU/m(2) 3 times weekly for a further 6 months. 13 Sardinian beta-thalassaemic patients (7 males and 6 females) received intramuscular IFNalpha-2b (Intron(R); Schering-Plough) 3 MU/m(2) 3 times weekly for 12 months. Parallel control groups (n = 20 and n = 8, respectively) did not receive IFNalpha. All patients received continuous subcutaneous desferoxamine infusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  24 (63%) Sicilian patients had a positive clinical response to IFNalpha-2a therapy. Two different patterns of response were apparent: (i) early and progressive decrease in ALT values until stable normalisation; and (ii) slower reduction of ALT values, which fluctuated on the way to normalisation. Five (21%) patients relapsed during the 12-month follow-up period. ALT levels decreased early in 5 (38%) Sardinian patients and one patient (20%) relapsed during the 12-month follow-up period. In the control groups, ALT values spontaneously normalised in 3 (10%) untreated patients. None of the patients treated with IFNalpha developed anti-IFNalpha antibodies. Viral clearance was demonstrated in 19 (50%) of 38 patients in the Sicilian group and 4 of 13 patients (31%) in the Sardinian group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment with intramuscular recombinant IFNalpha-2a 5 MU/m(2) 3 times weekly for 6 months, followed by 3 MU/m(2) 3 times weekly for 6 months, appeared to be more effective than intramuscular IFNalpha-2b 3 MU/m(2) 3 times weekly for 12 months.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pizzarelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Gregorio
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Romeo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carboni
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gallisai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Solinas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malaguarnera
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Musumeci