Treatment of chronic hepatitis C with recombinant interferon alpha 2b

The authors studied 70 patients affected by chronic hepatitis C where diagnosis had been made by clinical and histological tests. Intramuscular recombinant alpha 2b interferon (3 x 10(6)) was administered to 35 patients every second evening for 6 months, whereas the other 35 received aspecific treatment. Our results revealed normalization of transaminase in 57% of the patients, with distinct improvement of their clinical and histological pictures. All patients on interferon were followed up for a six-month drug free period, after which the disease reappeared in 50% of the responders.