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Published on: October 1, 2015

Non-interferon-based therapy: an option for amelioration of necro-inflammation in hepatitis C patients who cannot

Abdel-Rahman El-Zayadi1, Mohy Attia, Hanaa M Badran

  • 1Department of Tropical Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. clcz@tedata.net.eg

Liver International : Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver
|July 7, 2005
PubMed

Insights

A non-interferon-based therapy (N-IFN-BT) significantly improved liver health in chronic hepatitis C patients compared to silymarin. This cost-effective treatment regimen offers a viable alternative for those unable to afford interferon therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Virology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Interferon (IFN) therapy for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is unaffordable for many Egyptian patients.
  • Need for effective and inexpensive treatment options to manage hepatic necro-inflammatory activity in CHC.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and evaluate an affordable, non-interferon-based therapeutic regimen for CHC patients.
  • To assess the efficacy of this regimen in ameliorating liver inflammation compared to silymarin.

Main Methods:

  • 170 treatment-naïve CHC patients with elevated ALT and detectable HCV-RNA were randomized.
  • Group I (N-IFN-BT): 87 patients received ribavirin, amantadine, and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) for 24 weeks.
  • Group II (Silymarin): 83 patients received silymarin 450 mg/day for 24 weeks.

Main Results:

  • ALT normalization at end of treatment: 58.5% in Group I vs. 15.3% in Group II (P<0.001).
  • End of treatment virologic response (ETVR): 2.4% in Group I vs. 0% in Group II.
  • Sustained biochemical response (SBR) at 24 weeks post-therapy: 28% in Group I vs. 2.8% in Group II (P<0.001).
  • Histopathology in Group I showed a significant decrease in liver activity index.

Conclusions:

  • The 24-week non-interferon-based therapy (N-IFN-BT) demonstrated significantly higher end-of-treatment and sustained biochemical responses compared to silymarin.
  • N-IFN-BT effectively reduced necro-inflammatory activity in CHC patients, as confirmed by repeat liver biopsies.
  • This regimen offers a cost-effective and promising alternative for CHC management in resource-limited settings.
Abstract

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