ALPHA-INTERFERON IN THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC VIRAL-HEPATITIS - EFFECTS ON FIBROGENESIS SERUM MARKERS

Forty patients with chronic viral hepatitis or active cirrhosis (33 an ti-HCV positive) entered a recombinant human alpha 2A interferon rando mized trial. Twenty-one subjects were treated with 6 million units (MU ) three times per week for 6 months. Nineteen were not treated. Six mo nths later in 12 patients of the treated group (60% of the evaluable 2 0) with normalized serum aminotransferases levels (responders), fibrog enesis serum markers (NPIIIP and laminin) were significantly lower tha n baseline. In the untreated patients and in non-responders NPIIIP and laminin were unchanged. Semi quantitative histological evaluation (al lotting scores for inflammation, necrosis and fibrosis) confirmed a si gnificant improvement of necro-inflammation in the responders. These d ata suggest that alpha-IFN treatment may decrease stimuli for fibrogen esis by reducing liver inflammation and necrosis, thus preventing evol ution to cirrhosis.