DIMDI Sample Record
N D :
97119294 BASE: BA70
S E C :
Biological Abstracts Vol. 097 Iss. 006 Ref. 069169
A U :
Farci P; Mandas A; Coiana A; Lai ME; Desmet V; Van Eyken P; Gobi Y; Caruso L; Scaccabarozzi S;
et al
T I :
Treatment of chronic hepatitis D with interferon alfa-2a.
S O :
New England Journal of Medicine, 330 (2). 1994. 88-94. /1994/
I S S N : 0 0 2 8 - 4 7 9 3
L A :
E n g l i s h
C S :
Hepatitis Viruses Section, Lab. Infectious Diseases, Natl. Inst. Allergy Infectious Diseases, Natl.
Inst. Health, Build. 7, Rm 200, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
U T :
RESEARCH ARTICLE; HUMAN; INTERFERON-ALPHA-2A; ANTIVIRAL-DRUG; HORMONE-DRUG;
ALANINE AMINOTRANSFERASE; VIRAL RNA; POST-TREATMENT RELAPSE
I T :
ALFA-2A; ANTIVIRAL-DRUG; HORMONE-DRUG; INTERFERON-ALPHA-2A; POST-TREATMENT
R E L A P S E
S H :
(1) CHEMOTHERAPY-ANTIVIRAL AGENTS
S H :
(2) CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY-GENL METHODS,APPLICATIONS;
ENZYMES-PHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES;
PATHOLOGY-INFLAMMATION,INFLAMMATORY DISEASE;
P A T H O L O G Y - T H E R A P Y ;
METABOLISM-PROTEINS,PEPTIDES,AMINO ACIDS;
METABOLISM-NUCLEIC ACIDS,PURINES,PYRIMIDINES;
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM-PATHOLOGY;
BLOOD & BODY FLUIDS-LYMPHATIC TISSUE,RES;
ENDOCRINE SYSTEM-GENERAL STUDIES;
PHARMACOLOGY-CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY;
PHARMACOLOGY-DIGESTIVE SYSTEM;
PHARMACOLOGY-ENDOCRINE SYSTEM;
MEDICAL AND CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY-VIROLOGY
S H :
(3) BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES-NUCLEIC ACIDS,PURINES,PYRIMIDINES;
BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES-PROTEINS,PEPTIDES,AMINO ACIDS;
BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES-CARBOHYDRATES;
BACTERIAL AND VIRAL GENETICS
B S :
Animal viruses-general (1993- ) ; Hominidae
A B :
Background and Methods. Chronic hepatitis D is a severe and rapidly progressive liver disease for
which no therapy has been proved effective. To evaluate the efficacy of treatment with interferon,
we studied 42 patients with chronic hepatitis D who were randomly assigned to receive either 9
million or 3 million units of recombinant interferon alfa-2a (three times a week for 48 weeks) or
no treatment. Results. By the end of the treatment period, serum alanine aminotransferase values
had become normal in 10 of 14 patients receiving 9 million units (71 percent), as compared with 4
of 14 treated with 3 million units (29 percent, P = 0.029) and 1 of 13 untreated controls (8 percent,
P = 0.001). Seven patients treated with the higher dose of interferon (50 percent) had a complete
response (normal levels of alanine aminotransferase and no detectable serum hepatitis delta virus
(HDV) RNA), as compared with three of those who received the lower dose (21 percent, P = 0.1 18),
and none of the controls (P = 0.004). Treatment with 9 million units of interferon was associated
with a marked improvement in the histologic findings (reduced periportal necrosis and portal
and lobular inflammation), whereas in the untreated controls there was considerable histologic
deterioration. In 5 of the 10 patients treated with 9 million units of interferon whose alanine
aminotransferase values became normal, the biochemical responses persisted for up to 4 years
(mean, 39 months), but the effects of treatment on viral replication were not sustained. In
contrast, none of those who received 3 million units and none of the untreated controls had a
sustained biochemical or virologic response. Conclusions. In about half the patients with chronic
hepatitis D treated with high doses of interferon alfa-2a (9 million units three times a week for
48 weeks), the serum alanine aminotransferase level becomes normal, HDV RNA becomes
undetectable in serum, and there is histologic improvement. However, a relapse is common
after treatment has been stopped.
S a m p l e R e c o r d s b y S e a r c h S y s t e m
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