A preliminary study of retreatment of chronic hepatitis C with interferon

Nine patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and no complete response to the first treatment with natural interferon (IFN)-alpha, were prescribed a second treatment with IFN. Five patients (Group A) with unsustained levels serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) after the first treatment were administrated the same species of IFN but in a higher dose. The remaining four patients (Group B), with no normalization of ALT throughout the observation period of the first treatment, were administrated IFN-beta. HCV RNA was eliminated in three patients of group A and in two of group B patients during 6 months follow up and ALT reverted to normal levels. These results suggest that retreatment with a higher dose of the same species of IFN-alpha can be effective in case of a relapse and that IFN-beta can be effective for those not responding to IFN-alpha.