ABSTRACT
A follow-up study was made of 94 chronic hepatitis C patients at a hepatitis clinic in Brazil, after interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) therapy, to determine the influence of anti-interferon antibodies on treatment outcome. Patients diagnosed as having chronic hepatitis C, confirmed by PCR (HCV RNA) and liver biopsy, were treated with interferon alpha 2a or 2b for at least six months, and were followed up for 24 weeks after termination of treatment in order to assess biochemical, virological and clinical pathology responses. Only 6 percent of the 94 patients developed anti-IFN antibodies, 70 percent presented a biochemical response and 23 percent maintained a sustained virological response. Clinical evaluation revealed that in only 2 patients was there progression of fibrosis; the necro-inflammatory score indicated that 72 percent maintained the same activity, 12 percent had worsening necro-inflammatory activity, and the remaining 16 percent had decreased activity. There was no significant correlation of demographic and laboratory variables with levels of anti-interferon antibodies. Similarly, biochemical and virological responses were not influenced by anti-interferon antibodies. Multivariate analysis by logistic regression revealed that clinical pathological parameters, staging and necro-inflammatory activity did not influence the response to the virus.