[Interferon treatment of chronic viral hepatitis]

The interferon treatment of chronic viral hepatitis leads to a measurable inhibition of replication of the various hepatitis viruses. In adult patients with chronic HBe-Ag-positive hepatitis B, the seroconversion rate is tripled by therapy when compared with untreated controls. In chronic hepatitis C, biochemical remission is achieved in about 50% of patients, but there is a high tendency to relapse. Interferon treatment has little effect in hepatitis B virus infection transmitted perinatally and in chronic delta hepatitis. Better knowledge of prognostic variables and deeper insights into the mechanisms of chronic hepatitis C virus infection should help both to increase rates and duration of remissions and to reduce the rates of relapse in the future.