Appropriate Interferon-alpha Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C: An Assessment by Quantitative Changes in Serum Hepatitis C Virus-RNA

Shozo WATANABE, Yoshinao KOBAYASHI, Masayoshi KONISHI, Masato YOKOI, Ryuichi KAKEHASHI, Masahiko KAITO, Shiro SUZUKI
1993 Internal medicine (Tokyo. 1992)  
The antiviral effect of natural interferon (IFN)-oc on chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was estimated by determining quantitative changes in serum HCV-RNA compared with the serum alanine aminotransferase (SALT) improvement; the relationships of responses to IFN according to the dose and period ofIFN therapy were defined to determine an appropriate IFN therapy protocol. Twenty-two patients with chronic hepatitis C were given natural IFN-a and in 16 (72.7%) patients the viraemia was
more » ... essed during therapy. Five (27.7%) of them sustained the disappearance of HCV-RNA for more than 6 months after therapy accompanied with a prolonged SALTimprovement. Pre-treatment viraemia levels in 5 complete responders with "complete suppression" of viraemia were significantly lower than in ll patients with a transient loss or a decline ofHCV-RNA. Afavorable antiviral response was closely associated with a high total dose of IFN-a and a long duration of IFN therapy.
doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.32.523 fatcat:5e6sw2oknffdbn3avtkfenf2bq