TREATMENT WITH RIBAVIRIN PLUS ALPHA-INTERFERON IN HCV CHRONIC ACTIVE HEPATITIS NONRESPONDERS TO INTERFERON ALONE - PRELIMINARY-RESULTS

Alpha interferon (IFN-alpha) represents the best therapy for HCV activ e chronic hepatitis, but only 25% of treated patients achieve a comple te recovery. Several attempts have been made to increase this percenta ge. The objective of our study is to verify whether the combination ri bavirin (R)+ IFN-alpha can lead to positive results in non-responders to treatment with IFN-alpha alone. The preliminary results for 5 subje cts, all non-responders to IFN, treated with R+ IFN for 60 days and th en IFN alone for 4 months more show that during the R+IFN treatment, 2 subjects presented a reduction in transaminase; a month after the sus pension of R, ALT returned to pre-treatment values. The results are pr eliminary but we can say that this combination in the proposed doses a nd times in these subjects, cannot be considered adequate to modify th e natural course of this disease.