title: [Clinical study on adverse reactions of peginterferon alfa-2a in treatment of chronic hepatitis in adults and children].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the scope and degree of short-term adverse reactions of peginterferon alfa-2a in treatment of chronic hepatitis in adults and children to provide basis for anti-viral treatment in clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was conducted in adults and children with chronic hepatitis treated with peginterferon alfa-2a. Meanwhile, the reactions in the patients were recorded with a table designed by ourselves and statistically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The short-term adverse reactions included increase in body temperature and aching pain in joints and muscles. The increase in body temperature was the major reaction and accounted for 54.11%. The increase in body temperature began to appear in 47.6% of the patients. The body temperature was 37.3 degrees C-38.9 degrees C in most of the patients and mediate and low increase was found in 85.4% of the patients, which was decreased to 70% in the 4th week. However, the percentage of patients with high temperature was increased from 14.5% in the 1st week to 30% in the 4th week. The increase of body temperature began to appear in 9-12 h and 3-5 h after injection of peginterferon alfa-2a in the 1st and later, respectively. The duration of fever was 3-4 h in most of the patients. It appeared once in 1 week after the rejection in most of the patients. For management of fever, cooling with medication was conducted in 45.5 % of the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The short-term adverse reactions in patients with chronic hepatitis treated with peginterferon alfa-2a include the increase in body temperature etc. The severity of the adverse reactions gradually reduces with continuation of the treatment. Of the adverse reactions, the increase in body temperature is the major (47.6%) and others only account for 1%-16.9%. The increase in body temperature is mainly transient and no management is needed in 50% of the patients. Since the "ladder-type" dose-adding method is used for administration of peginterferon alfa-2a in this group of patients, the adverse reactions are low in number and mild in degree.
authors.affiliation: The Fifth Department of Infectious Diseases, 302th Hospital of PLA, Beijing 100039, China.
authors.forename: Hong-mei
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Hong-fei
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shi-shu
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Ya-ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Cui-hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Huo
authors.forename: Li-min
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001831:Body Temperature; D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops / Q000821:virology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D019013:CD40 Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a