Effectiveness of interferon treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection and normal aminotransferase levels

To determine the effects of interferon treatment, we studied 77 Japanese pa tients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and normal alanine aminotrans ferase (ALT). Of 77 patients, 37 were given natural interferon-alpha for 24 weeks, and 40 not given interferon acted as controls. Serum samples were t ested for HCV RNA and genotypes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).HCV RNA levels were measured by competitive PCR. Of 37 treated patients, 11 (29.7%) had sustained elimination throughout a six-month follow-up, while HCV RNA was not eliminated in any untreated patients. At 24 months, the number of p atients with elevated ALT was not significantly different between treated ( 13.5%) and untreated patients (15%). Interferon eliminates HCV RNA in patie nts with normal ALT without severe side effects. The natural history of HCV infection should be clarified so that the interferon treatment regimen can be tailored to the needs of each patient.