ESA-IRS Sample Record
Quest Accession Number : 94174289
97119294 BIOSIS PREVIEWS Issue: 9403D
Treatment of chronic hepatitis D with interferon alfa-2a.
Author(s): Farci P; Mandas A; Coiana A; Lai M E; Desmet V; Van Eyken P; Gobi Y; Caruso L;
Scaccabarozzi S; et al
Corp. Source: 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
Journal Name, Source Info: New England Journal of Medicine 1994. Vol 330, no 2 p 88-94
ISSN: 0028-4793
Language: English
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.
Concept Names:
*10006 Clinical Biochemistry General Methods and Applications
10062 Biochemical Studies-Nucleic Acids, Purines and Pyrimidines
10064 Biochemical Studies-Proteins, Peptides and Amino Acids
10068 Biochemical Studies-Carbohydrates
*10808 Enzymes-Physiological Studies
*12508 Pathology, General and Miscellaneous-Inflammation and Inflammatory Disease
*12512 Pathology, General and Miscellaneous-Therapy
*13012 Metabolism-Proteins, Peptides and Amino Acids
*13014 Metabolism-Nucleic Acids, Purines and Pyrimidines
*14006 Digestive System-Pathology
*15008 Blood, Blood-Forming Organs and Body Fluids-Lymphatic Tissue and Reticuloendothelial System
*17002 Endocrine System-General
*22005 Pharmacology-Clinical Pharmacology
*22014 Pharmacology-Digestive System
*22016 Pharmacology-Endocrine System
31500 Genetics of Bacteria and Viruses
*36006 Medical and Clinical Microbiology-Virology
*38506 Chemotherapy-Antiviral Agents
BioSystematic Names:
02600 Animal Viruses-General
86215 Hominidae
Super Taxa: MICROORGANISMS / VIRUSES / ANIMALS / MAMMALS / CHORDATES / VERTEBRATES /
PRIMATES / HUMAN
Terms: RESEARCH ARTICLE; HUMAN; INTERFERON-ALPHA-2A; ANTIVIRAL-DRUG; HORMONE-
DRUG; ALANINE AMINOTRANSFERASE; VIRAL RNA; POST-TREATMENT RELAPSE
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