Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of interferon on cirrhotic patients with hepatitis C and the incidence of adverse reactions. The subjects were 35 cirrhotic patients, and 29 chronic active hepatitis patients without cirrhosis (CAH) served as controls. The cirrhotic patients received 3 or 6 million units of human lymphoblastoid interferon daily for one or two weeks and then three times a week for 22 or 23 weeks, while the CAH patients received 6 million units daily for 2 weeks and then three times a week for 14 or 16 weeks. Discontinuation of interferon treatment or dose reduction was required in the 7 cirrhotic patients. The most frequent reason was thrombocytopenia. Dose reduction alone was necessary in two CAH patients. Five cirrhotic patients (14.3%) and nine CAH patients (31.0%) were classified as complete responders to interferon treatment. In all five complete responders with cirrhosis, the hepatitis C virus RNA level before treatment was less than 5 log copies/50 microliters. The results of this study confirm the beneficial effect of interferon in selected patients with cirrhosis on basis of pre-treatment virus levels and platelet count.
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