RETROSPECTIVE MULTICENTRIC STUDY ON THE E FFICACY OF ALPHA-INTERFERONIN CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C

BACKGROUND: Until very recently, interferon (INF) in Spain was authori zed in chronic hepatitis C (C-HCV) at a dosis of 3 megaunits (mu) for 6 months. Nonetheless, the rate of maintained complete response is low er than that obtained with more prolonged treatments. The first aim of this study was to retrospectively know the effectiveness of alpha INF in patients treated for 6 or 12 months with a dosis of 3 or 5-6 MU. T he second was to analyze the characteristics of the patients who achie ved a maintained complete response. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients wit h C-HCV treated in 9 hospitals in Andalucia, Spain who fulfilled the f ollowing conditions were retrospectively analyzed: liver biopsy prior to treatment, positive test for anti HCV and a follow up of at least 6 months after alpha INF treatment. A total of 344 patients were studie d: 267 treated with alpha INF-2b, 51 with alpha INF-2a and 26 with lym phoblastoid INF. One hundred ninety-five patients were treated for 6 m onths and 149 for 12 months. RESULTS: Seventy-seven (22%) of the patie nts presented maintained complete response, 170 (50%) did not respond and 97 (28%) relapsed. On comparing the three types of interferon used over 6 months, no significant differences were observed. Neither were differences found on comparing the dosis of 3 mu versus 5 or 6 mu. On analyzing the treatments of 6 and 12 months, the following was observ ed, respectively: maintained complete response 15% vs 32%, relapse 29% vs 30% and non responders 57% vs 38% (p < 0.001). Multivariate analys is demonstrated that the patients who responded the best to INF were t hose who presented the following characteristics: female sex, age unde r 40 years last, history of transfusion or IVDA, basal GPT level highe r than 145 IU/I, GGT less than 55 IU/I, less evolved histologic lesion s and duration of treatment over 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Of the differ ent treatments analyzed with alpha interferon in chronic hepatitis C, the best was found to be that with 3 mu during 12 months.