Effect of single-dose administration of recombinant interferon-alpha2b on gastric myoelectrical activity in patients with chronic hepatitis C

Upper abdominal complaints during interferon therapy may result from impaired gastric motility and/or evacuatory function. We examined the effect of acute administration of interferon on gastric myoelectrical activity (GMA) with the use of surface electrogastrography. The study population comprised 25 patients with chronic hepatitis C. All of them were naive to interferon. On 2 days, after a 25-min basal GMA registration, in group A (5 men, 7 women, aged 44.3 +/- 2.8 years) placebo or 5 million i.u. recombinant interferon alpha-2b (IFNA) was administered s.c. and the GMA was recorded in the interdigestive state for two periods (2 h and 4 h), separated by a 15-min break. In group B (7 men, 6 women, aged 44.7 +/- 3.9 years) placebo or 5 million i.u. IFNA was injected s.c. after the ingestion of a semiliquid test meal of 364 kcal. Subsequently, the postprandial GMA was recorded for two periods (2 h and 4 h), separated by a 15-min break. A typical flu-like syndrome was observed in 91.7% of patients in group A, and in 92.3% of patients in group B, thus providing evidence of the pharmacodynamic efficiency of the IFNA administration. In the fasted state, IFNA brought about a negligible increase in the rhythmicity and power of the gastric slow waves. IFNA did not elicit any statistically significant effect on gastric slow-wave activity postprandially. Acute administration of interferon does not involve any deterioration of GMA that could be linked to the previously reported upper abdominal symptoms in patients undergoing treatment with this drug.