Effect of daily administration period of natural alpha-interferon in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

OBJECTIVE

A randomized, controlled trial was performed to study the effect of the period of daily administration of interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Sixty-three patients were administered a total dose of 480 MU of natural alpha-interferon, 6 MU each day. In 32 cases, interferon was given daily for 2 wk, followed by intermittent administration (three times a week) for 22 wk. The other 31 patients received daily administration for 8 wk, followed by intermittent administration (twice a week) for 12 wk. The responses were based on the normalization of ALT and the clearance of hepatitis C virus.

RESULTS

Although ALT normalized in 37 patients during the administration of interferon, it relapsed after the end of interferon therapy in 20 patients. The other 17 patients achieved sustained normalization of ALT and clearance of hepatitis C virus RNA. Responses did not differ according to the administration period of interferon.

CONCLUSIONS

Prolonged daily administration did not improve the responses to interferon therapy when the total dose was the same.