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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Development and Validation of an Ultrasensitive Single Molecule Array Digital Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay for Human Interferon-α
Published on: June 14, 2018
Comparison of biochemical safety between PEG-IFN alpha-2a and PEG-IFN alpha-2b
Yoshiaki Katano1, Takashi Kumada, Isao Nakano
1Department of Gastroenterology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan. ykatano@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Background/Aims:
Although the efficacy and safety of pegylated-interferon (PEG-IFN) alpha-2a and PEG-IFN alpha-2b have been comparatively studied, there are few study results available in which the two PEG-IFN products were strictly compared. To compare the effects of two PEG-IFN products on blood cell profile.
Methodology:
The time-course change in blood cell counts was compared between chronic hepatitis C patients with genotype 1b receiving PEG-IFN alpha-2a/ribavirin and PEG-IFN alpha-2b/ribavirin combination therapy. The comparison was made after matching patients from the two groups based on ribavirin apparent clearance (CL/F), a surrogate marker of the steady state blood ribavirin level, in order to eliminate the effect of ribavirin. Fifteen pairs of matched patients were selected.
Results:
The time-course change in hemoglobin did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, significantly greater reductions in both neutrophil and platelet counts were observed with PEG-IFN alpha-2a compared to PEG-IFN alpha-2b. A slightly longer period was required with PEG-IFN alpha-2a than with PEG-IFN alpha-2b for a reduction in neutrophil or platelet count large enough to necessitate dose reduction.
Conclusions:
Two types of PEG-IFN products affected the blood cell profile in different manners. Long-term monitoring of laboratory test values is necessary with PEG-IFN alpha-2a.
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