EFFICACY OF PROLONGED INTERFERON-ALPHA TREATMENT IN CHRONIC HEPATITIS-B PATIENTS WITH HBEAB - COMPARISON BETWEEN 6 AND 12 MONTHS OF THERAPY

We compared the response and the relapse rates of HBeAb-positive patie nts treated with interferon-alpha for 6 or 12 months, Thirty-eight HBe Ab-positive patients which chronic hepatitis B were randomly allocated into two groups: Group I (19 patients receiving 10 MU of recombinant interferon-alpha 2b three times a week for 2 months, followed by 5 MU three times a week for 2 months and then 3 MU three times a week for 2 months); Group II (19 patients receiving 10 MU of recombinant interfe ron-alpha 2b three times a week for 2 months, followed by 5 MU three t imes a week for 2 months and then 3 MU three times a week for 8 months ). At the end of treatment, alanine aminotransferase normalization was higher but not more significant in Group I than in II (53% vs 26%), w hile hepatitis B virus DNA clearance was similar in both groups (21% i n Group I vs 26% in Group II). However, at 12 months of follow-up, bio chemical relapses occurred only in Group I (60% vs 0% in Groups I and II, respectively), Five complete responders cleared hepatitis B surfac e antigen at that time, In conclusion, prolonged treatment of HBeAb pa tients is efficient in reducing the biochemical relapse.