title: Beta interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C in patients with haemophilia and other haemorrhagic disorders.
abstract: Beta interferon therapy was given to seven chronic hepatitis C patients with haemophilia or other haemorrhagic disorders who had received clotting factor replacement therapy. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels ranged from 82 to 275 UL(-1) and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA ranged from 10(6) to 10(9) copies mL(-1) . HCV-genotypes were I+II in one patient, II in one, II+III in four and IV in one. Patients received 6 mega units (MU) daily of natural type beta interferon by intravenous infusion for 6 weeks. In three of seven patients, the protocol was modified to intermittent administration because neutrocytopenia (under 500 × 10(6) L(-1) ) developed in two patients and thrombocytopenia (under 50 × 10(9) L(-1) ) was observed in one during treatment. No modification was necessary with regard to daily and total dose. All patients received administration without any haemorrhagic complications. Six of seven patients showed improvement in serum ALT levels, and one of the patients showed normalization of ALT levels for 6 months after treatment. HCV-RNA disappeared in four patients by the end of treatment, although no one remained negative 6 months after treatment. The results of our study were similar to those reported in previous papers which described the use of alpha interferon in haemophiliacs. The reason none of the patients showed sustained loss of HCV-RNA after therapy might be associated with high HCV-RNA levels, characteristics of the HCV-genotype and prolonged duration of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Tokyo Medical College, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Tokyo Medical College, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukue
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Tokyo Medical College, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawata
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Tokyo Medical College, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamagishi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Tokyo Medical College, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Tokyo Medical College, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Tokyo Medical College, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukutake
keywords: beta interferon; chronic hepatitis; haemophilia; haemorrhagic disorders; hepatitis C; human immunodeficiency virus