EVALUATION OF EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF THYMUS HUMORAL FACTOR-GAMMA-2 INTHE MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS-B

Background/Aims: We investigated the antiviral and immunomodulatory ef fects of a combination treatment using thymus humoral factor-gamma 2 a nd alpha-interferon in patients with chronic hepatitis B in whom previ ous monotherapy with interferon had failed. Methods: Nine HBeAg and HB V-DNA seropositive patients received thymus humoral factor-gamma 2 alo ne for 2 months, thymus humoral factor-gamma 2 plus alpha-interferon f or 2 months and finally alpha-interferon alone for 2 months. Results: Treatment with thymus humoral factor-gamma 2 alone was not associated with any side effects, The interferon-induced lymphopenia was signific antly less marked during the combined therapy in comparison to the pre vious course with interferon alone (mean reduction of lymphocyte count s 33.5+/-11.6% versus 56.3+/-16.7%, respectively, p<0,05), The combina tion of thymus humoral factor-gamma 2 plus interferon showed a signifi cantly more profound inhibition of serum HBV-DNA (mean reduction from the pretreatment level 90.6+/-13.3%) compared to the earlier monothera py with interferon in the same patients (mean reduction 55.5+/-34.7%, p<0,01), As a result of the combined thymus humoral factor-gamma 2 plu s alpha-interferon regimen three out of nine patients became HBV-DNA n egative and seroconverted to anti-HBe, Thymus humoral factor-gamma 2 a ppears to exert mainly a functional effect on T lymphocytes, as interl eukin-2 production was increased in the majority of treated patients, whilst the expression of lymphocyte activation markers remained unchan ged. Conclusions: These data suggest that thymus humoral factor-gamma 2 may be useful in a combined therapeutic approach in chronic HBV carr iers. (C) Journal of Hepatology.