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Interferon alfa‐2b alone or in combination with ketoprofen as treatment for interferon‐naive chronic hepatitis C patients
Author(s) -
Paolo Fabris,
Giulia Tositti,
Francesco Negro,
F. Marranconi,
D. Infantolino,
Mario Rassu,
Fausto de Lalla
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
alimentary pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.308
H-Index - 177
eISSN - 1365-2036
pISSN - 0269-2813
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2036.1999.00613.x
Subject(s) - medicine , ketoprofen , interferon , gastroenterology , interferon alfa , alpha interferon , hepatitis c , chronic hepatitis , combination therapy , immunology , pharmacology , virus
Background : Non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs may amplify the anti‐viral effect of α‐interferon in vitro but in vivo data are still controversial. Aim : To test the hypothesis that ketoprofen may increase the rate of response to α‐interferon of chronic hepatitis C patients. Methods : Fifty patients with chronic hepatitis C who had never received α‐interferon were randomly assigned to receive 3–8 M U of α2b‐interferon, three times weekly for 6 months, alone or in association with ketoprofen at a dose of 200 mg/day five times weekly. The virological response to treatment (undetectable HCV RNA in serum) was evaluated after 3 months and at the end of treatment, and 6 and 12 months after therapy withdrawal. Results : One patient under combination therapy stopped the ketoprofen for persisting epigastric pain. Complete response under treatment was observed in 15 out of 24 (62.5%) patients receiving α2b‐interferon alone and in 14 out of 26 (53.8%) patients under combination therapy ( P= N.S.). One year after the end of treatment, a sustained response was seen in 4 out of 24 (16.2%) patients treated with α2b‐interferon and in 5 out of 26 (19.2%) patients having received the combination ( P= N.S.). Conclusion : Administration of ketoprofen does not increase either the primary or the sustained response to α2b‐interferon therapy of interferon‐naive chronic hepatitis C patients.