Interferon-α plus amantadine in chronic hepatitis C resistant to interferon alone: a pilot randomized study
The optimal therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C who have not responded to interferon (IFN) is still an unsolved issue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of a high dose of IFN‐α2a plus amantadine for chronic hepatitis C patients who were non‐responders to a...
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Veröffentlicht in: | Journal of viral hepatitis 2001-07, Vol.8 (4), p.284-286 |
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Sprache: | eng |
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Zusammenfassung: | The optimal therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C who have not responded to interferon (IFN) is still an unsolved issue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of a high dose of IFN‐α2a plus amantadine for chronic hepatitis C patients who were non‐responders to a previous course of IFN.
Forty consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1b, who had not responded to IFN‐α, were randomized to receive: (i) IFN 4.5 MU daily plus amantadine 200 mg/day for 4 weeks and then IFN 6 MU thrice weekly plus amantadine 200 mg/day for an additional 5 months (group A) or (ii) IFN alone at the same dosage and duration (group B). After 1 month of therapy, normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) values were observed in three of 21 (14.3%) patients in group A and in three of 19 (15.8%) in group B; serum hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐RNA clearance was observed in one patient (4.8%) in group A and in six (31.6%) in group B. At the end of treatment, six patients (28.6%) in group A and three (15.8%) in group B had normal ALT levels; however, HCV‐RNA in serum was detectable in all of them at levels comparable to the basal values; an ALT relapse occurred within 3 months of stopping therapy. The combination of daily IFN plus amantadine was ineffective in this setting. |
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ISSN: | 1352-0504 1365-2893 |
DOI: | 10.1046/j.1365-2893.2001.00298.x |