A prospective, randomized trial comparing lymphoblastoid to recombinant interferon alfa 2a as therapy for chronic hepatitis C.

Abstract

To compare the long-term effectiveness and tolerability of lymphoblastoid interferon (IFN-alphaN1) and recombinant interferon alfa 2a (IFN-alpha2a) in patients with chronic hepatitis caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV), 234 consecutive patients with HCV-related chronic hepatitis were randomized prospectively to receive titrated doses (starting dose = 6 million units [MU]) of IFN-alpha2a (n = 118) or IFN-alphaN1 (n = 116) for 12 months. HCV RNA was detected by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), quantified by branched-DNA (bDNA) assay, and genotyped by reverse hybridization assay. Thirty-one patients in the IFN-alpha2a group and 28 in the IFN-alphaN1 group (total, 59 [25%] had normal transaminases and undetectable HCV RNA by RT-PCR after 12 months of therapy, but only 19 in the first group and 20 in the second group (total, 39 [17%]) had biochemical and virological responses 12 months after treatment was discontinued. The two treatment groups differed in terms of prevalence of major drug-related adverse reactions (23% vs. 37%, P = .025). The mean total dose per patient was similar for the two groups, i.e., 502 MU IFN-alpha2a vs. 496 MU IFN-alphaN1, and the cost of each sustained response was $31,800 and $32,440, respectively. By multivariate analysis, pretreatment viremia higher than 0.2 MEq/mL and infection with genotype 1 were independently associated to treatment failure. The outcome of treatment in chronic hepatitis C patients was not improved by the administration of high cumulative doses of lymphoblastoid IFN.

• Authors: M Rumi, E Del Ninno, M L Parravicini, R Romeo, R Soffredini, M F Donato, J Wilber, A Russo, M Colombo
• Journal: Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) (Hepatology) Vol. 24 Issue 6 Pg. 1366-70 (Dec 1996) ISSN: 0270-9139 [Print] United States
• PMID: 8938163 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Comparative Study, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Interferon alpha-2
• Interferon-alpha
• RNA, Viral
• Recombinant Proteins

Topics

• Female
• Hepacivirus (isolation & purification)
• Hepatitis C (pathology, physiopathology, therapy)
• Humans
• Interferon alpha-2
• Interferon-alpha (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Liver (pathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Multivariate Analysis
• Odds Ratio
• Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Prospective Studies
• RNA, Viral (blood)
• Recombinant Proteins