HIGH SUSTAINED RESPONSE RATE AND CLEARANCE OF VIREMIA IN CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C AFTER TREATMENT WITH INTERFERON-ALPHA(2B) FOR 60 WEEKS

To evaluate the effect of prolonged interferon-ol treatment on serum a minotransferase levels and hepatitis C virus RNA in serum, 40 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection were treated with 3 MU inter feron-alpha(2b) thrice weekly for 60 wk. Before treatment all patients had elevated serum ALT levels for at least 1 yr, antibodies to HCV by second-generation tests and liver histological findings consistent wi th chronic hepatitis C. Before treatment hepatitis C virus RNA was fou nd in serum in 39 of 40 (97.5%) patients. Normalization of ALT levels at treatment cessation was seen in 24 of 40 (60%) patients, of whom 15 of 24 (62.5%) had sustained ALT responses up to 24 wk after treatment . At follow-up, 24 wk after treatment, hepatitis C virus RNA was clear ed from serum in 17 of 40 (42.5%) patients, including all sustained re sponders, one nonsustained responder and one nonresponder. We conclude that 60 wk of treatment with interferon-alpha(2b) seems to induce a h igh percentage of sustained response, which coincides with cessation o f viral replication.