Ten year follow-up of patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The impact of the treatment with interferon (IFN) on the n atural history of chronic hepatitis C is not defined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long term effect of the treatment in patients with chr onic hepatitis C. METHODOLOGY: In 31 patients with chronic hepatitis C (9 with cirrhosis) con secutively treated with recombinant alpha 2a interferon (r alpha 2a IFN), t he evolution of the disease at 10 years from the therapy was evaluated by m eans of upper endoscopy, liver ultrasonography (US), liver function tests a nd hepatitis C virus (HCV) viremia. RESULTS: Among 10/31 patients previously classified as responders, only 1 h as signs of evolution to cirrhosis; HCV-RNA is still present in 2. Among 21 non-responder patients, 5 developed hepatocarcinoma (HCC) and 4 died durin g the follow-up; HCV-RNA is present in all the patients still alive. The 6 patients already cirrhotic when treated have clinical signs of progression to Child class B and C. The biochemical, ultrasonographical and endoscopica l evaluation shows onset of cirrhosis in 7 of the others. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with chronic hepatitis C who respond to treatment wit h interferon have good outcome and rare evolution to cirrhosis. The treatme nt does not seem to influence the natural history of the disease in non-res ponders.