To evaluate the effect of recombinant interferon alfa-2a in chronic hepatitis B, we randomly assigned 47 patients with chronic hepatitis B to four groups : HBeAg(+)/anti-HB3(-) group I (n=9), treated with 3MU of interferon alfa-2a every day for 6
months; HBeAg(+)/anti-Hbe(-) group II(n=10), treated with 3MU of IFN alfa-2a every day for 1 month followed by every other day for 5 months; HBeAg(-)/anti-HB3(+)/anti-HBe(+) group III(n=8), treated with IFN alfa-2a per every other day for 6
months;
untreated(control) group IV(n=20).
At the end of the treatment (6th month). the normalization of serum ALT was 6/9(66.7%) in group I, 7/10(70.0%) in group II, 2/8(25.0%) in group III and 7/20(35.0%) in untreated group, but there was no significant difference between the treated
group
with IFN and untreated group. The seroconversion of HBeAg was 2/9(22.2%) in group I, 3/10(30.0%) in group II and 2/20(10.0%) in untreated group. Hepatitis B virus DNA was negative in 25.0% in group I, 20.0% in group II, 28.6% in group III and
5.0%
in
untreated group, however significant difference was not noted between treated groups and untreated group. Seroconversion of HBsAg was observed in the cone patient who belonged to group II.
Paired t-test in the comparison of biochemical tests before and after treatment of IFN in group I, -II and -III revealed that serum ALT level significantly decreased in group I(p<0.05), serum albumin level was significantly increased in group I,
II, and
-III(p<0.05, p<0.01), serum alkaline phosphatase and significantly decreased in group I(p<0.05). All patients with IFN alfa-2a complained of transient flu-like symptom, but not serious and there was no other side effect to withdrawal treatment.
These results suggest that IFN alfa-2a in chronic hepatitis B does not have a powerful antiviral effect but seems to be relatively effective and tolerable.(Korean J Gastroenterol 1994; 26 : 109-118)
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