Interferon-α Alone versus Interferon-α plus Ribavirin in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Not Responding to Previous Interferon-α Treatment
作者:
S. Tripi,
G. Di Gaetano,
M. Soresi,
F. Cartabellotta,
R. Vassallo,
A. Carroccio,
G. Anastasi,
G. Montalto,
期刊:
BioDrugs
(ADIS Available online 2000)
卷期:
Volume 13,
issue 4
页码: 299-304
ISSN:1173-8804
年代: 2000
出版商: ADIS
关键词: Antivirals, therapeutic use;Hepatitis C, treatment;Immunomodulators, therapeutic use;Interferon alpha, therapeutic use;Ribavirin, therapeutic use
数据来源: ADIS
摘要:
ObjectiveTo study the effects of monotherapy with leucocyte interferon-α (IFNα) versus IFNα + ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C who were nonresponders to previous courses of recombinant or lymphoblastoid IFNα.Design and settingThis was a nonblind randomised study of outpatients at 3 centres in Palermo, Sicily, Italy.Patients and participantsWe recruited 72 patients (48 males, 24 females), mean age 48.8 ± 6.6 years (range 31 to 63 years), with biopsy-proven chronic hepatitis C, predominantly genotype 1b.Interventions24 patients (group A) received IFNα 6MU 3 times weekly for 6 months, and 48 patients (group B) received IFNα 6MU 3 times weekly + ribavirin 1200 mg/day for 6 months. ALT levels and adverse effects were monitored monthly, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA levels were measured at study entry, at the end of treatment and after a 6-month follow-up.ResultsAt baseline all patients were HCV-RNA positive and had ALT levels greater than twice normal. Mean post-treatment serum HCV-RNA levels were below baseline in group A, but the virus was eradicated in only 1 patient; 6 patients had normalised serum ALT levels. In group B at end of treatment, 12 patients were negative for HCV-RNA and serum ALT levels were normal in 18. At follow-up, all group A patients had elevated ALT levels and positive HCV-RNA. In group B, 3 patients were still negative for HCV-RNA and 4 had normal ALT. In 4 patients in group B, therapy was suspended because of anaemia, depression and decrease in neutrophil count; a flu-like syndrome was recorded with no frequency difference between groups.ConclusionsThese results suggest that patients with chronic hepatitis C unresponsive to IFNα monotherapy could benefit from combination therapy with IFNα + ribavirin.
点击下载:
PDF
(72KB)
返 回