Treatment of chronic hepatitis C with interferon-alpha by monitoring the response according to viraemia

Authors: Bonetti P.¹; Chemello L.¹; Antona C.²; Breda A.³; Brosolo P.¹; Casarin 4.P.⁵; Crivellaro C.⁶; Dona G.⁷; Martinelli S.⁸; Rinaldi R.¹; Zennaro 6.V.¹; Santonastaso 1.M.³; Urban F.⁹; Pontisso P.¹; Alberti A.^{1, *}

Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis, Volume 4, Number 2, March 1997 , pp. 107-112(6)

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Abstract:

In chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection, treatment with interferon is associated with a rather low rate of sustained response and many treated patients do not achieve significant benefit. Efforts have therefore been made to identify non-responders as early as possible to avoid unjustified costs and side-effects. We treated 106 cases of HCV with an algorithm based on the results of sequential alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and HCV RNA determinations, using an initial dose of 6 MU thrice weekly for 4 months, and modified the subsequent treatment according to the biochemical and virological profile. Thirty-three out of 48 patients (68.7%) who were HCV RNA negative with normal ALT at 4 months after initiation of treatment were sustained responders when treated for an additional 4-month period with a reduced 3 MU dose, while sustained response was achieved in 12.5% of HCV RNA positive patients treated with a higher dosage and for a more prolonged period of time. Our findings indicate that HCV RNA monitoring during interferon therapy may be useful in modifying of the treatment schedule for the individual patient.

Keywords: chronic hepatitis C; HCV RNA monitoring; interferon therapy

Language: English

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Institute of Internal Medicine, University School of Medicine, Padova, Italy, 2: Department of Internal Medicine, Pieve di Cadore (Belluno), Italy, 3: Department of Internal Medicine, Conegliano (Treviso), Italy, 5: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Pordenone, Italy, 6: Department of Infectious Diseases, Padova, Italy, 7: Department of Internal Medicine, Mirano (Venezia), Italy, 8: Department of Internal Medicine, Cittadella (Padova), Italy, 9: Department of Gastroenterology, Trieste, Italy, and 10Department of Internal Medicine, Rovigo, Italy *

Publication date: 1997-03-01

• In this: publication
• By this: publisher
• In this Subject: Gastroenterology
• By this author: Bonetti P. ;  Chemello L. ;  Antona C. ;  Breda A. ;  Brosolo P. ;  Casarin 4.P. ;  Crivellaro C. ;  Dona G. ;  Martinelli S. ;  Rinaldi R. ;  Zennaro 6.V. ;  Santonastaso 1.M. ;  Urban F. ;  Pontisso P. ;  Alberti A.

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