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Beta interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C in patients with haemophilia and other haemorrhagic disorders
Author(s) -
HAGIWARA T.,
FUKUE H.,
KAWATA K.,
YAMAGISHI T.,
YAMAMOTO Y.,
ARAI M.,
FUKUTAKE K.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
haemophilia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.213
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1365-2516
pISSN - 1351-8216
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2516.1996.tb00024.x
Subject(s) - medicine , haemophilia , ribavirin , gastroenterology , interferon , clotting factor , haemophilia a , hepatitis c virus , alanine transaminase , hepatitis c , chronic hepatitis , virus , immunology , surgery
Summary. Beta interferon therapy was given to seven chronic hepatitis C patients with haemophilia or other haemorrhagic disorders who had received clotting factor replacement therapy. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels ranged from 82 to 275 UL ‐1 and hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐RNA ranged from 10 6 to 10 9 copies mL ‐1 . HCV‐genotypes were I+II in one patient, II in one, II+III in four and IV in one. Patients received 6 mega units (MU) daily of natural type beta interferon by intravenous infusion for 6 weeks. In three of seven patients, the protocol was modified to intermittent administration because neutrocytopenia (under 500 × 10 6 L ‐1 ) developed in two patients and thrombocytopenia (under 50 × 10 9 L ‐1 ) was observed in one during treatment. No modification was necessary with regard to daily and total dose. All patients received administration without any haemorrhagic complications. Six of seven patients showed improvement in serum ALT levels, and one of the patients showed normalization of ALT levels for 6 months after treatment. HCV‐RNA disappeared in four patients by the end of treatment, although no one remained negative 6 months after treatment. The results of our study were similar to those reported in previous papers which described the use of alpha interferon in haemophiliacs. The reason none of the patients showed sustained loss of HCV‐RNA after therapy might be associated with high HCV‐RNA levels, characteristics of the HCV‐genotype and prolonged duration of the disease.