ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: interferon alpha is nowadays the drug of choice in the treatment of chronic viral hepatitis. The objective of the present work was to assess the effectiveness of interferon alpha in the treatment of chronic active hepatitis B in our population and to test whether the known "prognostic factors" of successful treatment are applicable in our patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 1991-1994 a total of 25 patients were treated (15 men, 10 women, mean age 46.1 years, range 18-69 years) suffering from chronic active hepatitis B (HBsAg and HBeAG positive) with interferon alpha 2b (Intron A, Schering-Plough International ). Seroconversion to anti-HBe and the drop of serum aminotransferase activity was achieved in 15 patients (60%). Only in one patient within one year after termination of treatment a relapse developed. In the group of successfully treated patients the activity of serum aminotransferases before treatment was significantly higher. The mean duration of the disease was surprisingly longer than in the group where treatment failed (106 vs. 62 months), but this difference was not statistically significant. Only in two successfully treated patients during the second and third month of treatment acute exacerbation of the inflammation occurred and manifestations of hepatic insufficiency with subsequent slow improvement developed. In the remainder the activities of serum aminotransferases declined slowly to normal values.