Glycyrrhizin withdrawal followed by human lymphoblastoid interferon in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.

Seventeen patients with chronic hepatitis B were treated with a 4-week administration of glycyrrhizin followed by a 4-week treatment with human lymphoblastoid interferon, then followed for 6 months after the end of treatment. All were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), and hepatitis B virus-associated DNA polymerase (DNA-p) for at least 6 months before entry. All patients were Japanese and none of them were homosexuals. Eleven patients lost DNA-p activity and 10 of them lost HBeAg. Three of these 10 patients had antibody to HBeAg. In 10 patients who became HBeAg-negative, alanine aminotransferase levels after glycyrrhizin administration were higher and initial DNA-p activities relatively lower than the levels found in seven patients who remained HBeAg-positive. The immunomodulator provided by a short course of glycyrrhizin before administration of human lymphoblastoid interferon may be an effective treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis B.