INTERFERON-ALPHA DOES NOT CAUSE SIGNIFICANT CARDIAC DYSFUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC ACTIVE HEPATITIS

The cardiac adverse effects of interferon (INF) treatment have been re ported recently in various clinical trials of INE In this study, the c ardiac effects of recombinant INF-alpha treatment were evaluated prosp ectively in a group of patients with chronic active viral hepatitis (C AH). Sixteen patients with CAH type B, 14 patients with CAH type C and one patients with CAH type D were included in this study, and 4.5, 3 and 9 MU of recombinant INF-alpha-2a was administrated three times a w eek to these patients, respectively. The durations of treatment were 6 months for CAH type B and C, and 12 months for type D. The cardiac st atus of all patients was evaluated and monitored with a detailed medic al history, physical examination, electrocardiography (EGG), telecardi ography, echocardiography and heart rate variability tests at the begi nning of the study and at the first and sixth months of INF therapy an d also 6 months after ceasing the therapy. The clinical evaluation of patients before the treatment revealed that three had hypertension, on e had a past medical history of myocardial infarction, one had a prost hetic mitral valve replacement and another had left hemiblock in her E CG record. No significant changes and adverse effects were detected in clinical examination and cardiovascular tests of all patients, either in preexisting cardiovascular diseases, during therapy and after stop ping the treatment. The cardiac adverse effects of INF reported in pre vious studies are questionable and we conclude that it can be used saf ely in CAH patients. Therefore, it should be kept in mind that fever a nd tachycardia may occur during the first and second weeks of INF ther apy and patients with high risk for cardiac disease should be monitore d closely in this period of treatment.