Comparative study of three doses of interferon-alpha 2a in chronic active hepatitis B. The International Hepatitis...

To determine the efficacy of interferon-alpha 2a in chronic active hepatitis B, 238 patients were randomly divided, into four groups: three groups received either 2.5 MIU m-2, 5.0 MIU m-2 or 10.0 MIU m-2, three times weekly by intramuscular injection for 12-24 weeks; and a control group received no treatment. Patients were followed for up to 12 months after treatment was discontinued. There was a statistically significant difference in response [clearance of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and hepatitis B viral DNA (HBV-DNA)] between treated and untreated patients (37 vs 13%) but no statistically significant difference was seen between treatment groups (33%, 34% and 43% for the 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 MIU m-2 groups, respectively). A transient rise in transaminases (seroconversion hepatitis) was seen in responders, but levels returned to within the normal range after response to treatment. In patients responding to interferon therapy there was a significant reduction in the severity of the hepatitis. Interferon-alpha 2a was generally well tolerated with respect to vital signs and laboratory parameters.