Interferon-alpha in patients with chronic hepatitis C and normal transaminase levels.

OBJECTIVE: to assess the response to interferon-alpha therapy in patients w ith chronic hepatitis C and normal alanine transferase levels. METHODS: 16 patients with normal transaminases (group A) and 36 patients wi th elevated ALT levels (group B) were treated with interferon-alpha-2b at a dose of 3 MU for 6 months, The biochemical, virological (HCV RNA in serum, liver and peripheral blood mononuclear cells) and histological responses w ere analyzed. RESULTS: no significant differences were observed between the two groups in age, sex, parenteral or sporadic transmission, hepatic lesion, Knodell ind ex or HCV genotype, except for the higher proportion of women in group A. W e found no significant differences between the groups in rates of patients with normal ALT in the follow-up period (6 months post-interferon, group A 44%, group B 17%) or in post-therapy negativization of HCV RNA levels (grou p A 31%, group B 17%). In 7 patients (44%) in group A, ALT remained normal throughout the study, whereas in the rest of the patients we observed some elevation during or after interferon treatment. Post-therapy mean Knodell i ndex was 6 +/- 3 in group A versus 9 +/- 4 in group B (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: the response to interferon was similar in patients with normal or elevated transaminases.