EFFICACY OF HUMAN-LEUKOCYTE INTERFERON-ALPHA TREATMENT IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-RELATED CHRONIC LIVER-DISEASE

Sixty-seven aged patients (mean age 69, age range 67-73 years) with he patitis C virus (HCV)-related chronic liver disease were treated with human leukocyte interferon-ce at a dose of 9 mU/week for 9 months and then followed up for other 6 months. At the end of treatment, 39 patie nts (58.2 8) showed normalization of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) le vels; however, 24 responders (61.5 %) had a relapse of the disease in the following 6 months. Fifteen out of 39 responders (38.5 %) had a su stained response. Of these, 9 (60 %) showed clearance of HCV-RNA from serum. Similar rates were observed in a group of younger patients (mea n age 48, age range 17-58 years) treated with the same schedule. In bo th groups, the most important predictor of response appeared to be the degree of fibrosis at liver histology, rather than the patients' age. These data suggest that interferon-a treatment may be as much useful in elderly patients as it may be in younger patients, provided that li ver injury is not advanced too much.