COMPARISON OF 2 INTERFERON-ALPHA TREATMENT REGIMENS CHARACTERIZED BY AN EARLY VIROLOGICAL RESPONSE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C

Objective: We investigated the efficacy of an interferon regimen chara cterized by an early virological response in patients with chronic hep atitis C and evaluated whether the patient's virological status during therapy would be useful for predicting a complete response. Methods: We treated 62 patient with chronic hepatitis C with 6 minion units (MU ) of human lymphoblastoid interferon daily for a wk, The serum HCV RNA was assayed at week 2 by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain r eaction, HCV RNA-negative patients (group A) received 6 MU of interfer on three times weekly for an additional 22 wk (total dose, 564 MU), HC V RNA-positive patients were randomly assigned to group B-1, which rec eived the same regimen as group A, or to group B-2, which received 6 M U of interferon daily for 4 wk followed by 6 MU three times weekly for 18 wk (total dose, 660 MU). Results; Complete responses were achieved by 19 (63.3%) of 30 group A patients, compared with one (6.3%) of 16 group B-1 patients and none of 16 group B-2 patients, The virological response at week 2 and the pretreatment serum HCV RNA level were indep endent significant predictors of a complete response, Conclusion: Pati ents who were still HCV RNA-positive at week 2 were unlikely to achiev e a complete response after interferon therapy, an increase in the tot al dose of interferon failed to yield further benefit in these patient s, (C) 1998 by Am, Cell, of Gastroenterology).