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Breakthrough during recombinant interferon alfa therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection: Prevalence, etiology, and management
Author(s) -
Roffi Luigi,
Mels Guido Colloredo,
Antonelli Guido,
Bellati Giorgio,
Panizzuti Fabio,
Piperno Alberto,
Pozzi Massimo,
Ravizza Davide,
Angeli Giovanni,
Dianzani Ferdinando,
Mancia Giuseppe
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.1840210307
Subject(s) - medicine , interferon alfa , interferon , chronic hepatitis , recombinant dna , antibody , hepatitis c virus , alpha interferon , gastroenterology , virus , immunology , peginterferon alfa 2a , etiology , virology , ribavirin , biology , biochemistry , gene
Recombinant interferon alfa (r‐IFNα2) has been shown to normalize the aminotransferase levels in approximately 50% of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). Few patients experience a relapse during the treatment, in spite of a complete initial response (breakthrough). We studied 191 HCV Ab‐positive patients with histologically proven chronic hepatitis. All of them were treated with r‐IFNα2 (3 MU three times a week). A complete response was seen in 54.4%. However, 12 of 104 responders experienced a breakthrough. At the time of breakthrough, neutralizing IFN antibodies were positive in 6 of 12 patients. Binding IFN antibodies were positive in all of these 12 patients. Continued treatment with r‐IFNα2, even at higher doses, did not restore the previous response in any patient. All of them were then switched to natural lymphoblastoid IFN, and this rapidly restored a complete response in all of the patients.