Role of interferon anti body in predicting the response to interferon therapy in HCV patients

To see the frequency of formation of interferon antibodies in patients receiving alpha interferon and evaluate their role in treatment response.

Patients with chronic Hepatitis C receiving alpha interferon three times a week along with daily ribavarin in two gastroeneterolgy departments of public hospitals, running hepatology clinics were studied. Blood for interferon antibodies in most (71) cases was collected around 5th month of therapy, sera were stored and analyzed in batches. Sera of 134 patients was analyzed, of whom 44 were taking Interferon 2a and 90 were taking 2b.

Of 134 cases, 17 showed the presence of antibodies in titers of over 50 units and 5 of these showed no response to interferon treatment (6%). Majority (78) of the cases had antibody levels of less than 20 followed by 39 cases whose levels ranged between 20-50 units.

Interferon antibodies are formed in a small percentage of cases receiving interferon and that too are in such low titers that they are not hampering the treatment. Serial antibody levels may be done to see if they remain stationary or increase with the continuation of the therapy.