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Combination therapy with interferon‐α plus N ‐acetyl cysteine for chronic hepatitis C: A placebo controlled double‐blind multicentre study
Author(s) -
Grant P.R.,
Black A.,
Garcia N.,
Prieto J.,
Garson J.A.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/1096-9071(200008)61:4<439::aid-jmv5>3.0.co;2-l
Subject(s) - medicine , placebo , interferon , gastroenterology , alpha interferon , chronic hepatitis , interferon alfa , immunology , viral disease , hepatitis c , hepatitis c virus , virus , pathology , alternative medicine
A small pilot study in patients with chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection suggested that antiviral treatment with interferon (IFN) plus N ‐acetyl cysteine (NAC) was more effective than treatment with interferon alone [Beloqui et al. (1993) Journal of Interferon Research 13:279–282]. An attempt was made to confirm this by performing a placebo‐controlled double‐blind study at 8 medical centres in Spain and Italy. One‐hundred forty‐seven patients with chronic HCV infection were investigated, 73 received 3MU IFN‐α thrice weekly plus NAC 1800 mg daily and 74 received IFN alone. Treatment was continued for 6 months and patients were followed up for a further 6 months. Amongst patients receiving IFN plus NAC, sustained virological responses were observed in 5.5%, transient responses in 26% and non‐response in 68.5%. The figures for patients receiving IFN only were 4.1%, 24.3% and 71.6% respectively. Sustained virological response was significantly associated with non‐type 1 genotypes ( P = 0.045) and with low pre‐treatment viraemia levels ( P = 0.034). Biochemical response (serum ALT concentrations) correlated with virological outcome in 97% (n = 139) of cases. Patients who experienced a sustained virological response also showed reduction in the Knodell histological activity index. It is concluded that patients with chronic HCV infection are very unlikely to benefit from the addition of N ‐acetyl cysteine to conventional therapy with interferon‐α. J. Med. Virol. 61:439–442, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.