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Pizzarelli G, Di Gregorio F, Romeo MA, et al. Interferon-alpha therapy in Sicilian and Sardinian polytransfused thalassaemic patients with chronic hepatitis C. BioDrugs. 1999;12(1):55-63doi: 10.2165/00063030-199912010-00006.
Pizzarelli, G., Di Gregorio, F., Romeo, M. A., Carboni, F., Gallisai, D., Solinas, A., Malaguarnera, M., & Musumeci, S. (1999). Interferon-alpha therapy in Sicilian and Sardinian polytransfused thalassaemic patients with chronic hepatitis C. BioDrugs : clinical immunotherapeutics, biopharmaceuticals and gene therapy, 12(1), 55-63. https://doi.org/10.2165/00063030-199912010-00006
Pizzarelli, G, et al. "Interferon-alpha therapy in Sicilian and Sardinian polytransfused thalassaemic patients with chronic hepatitis C." BioDrugs : clinical immunotherapeutics, biopharmaceuticals and gene therapy vol. 12,1 (1999): 55-63. doi: https://doi.org/10.2165/00063030-199912010-00006
Pizzarelli G, Di Gregorio F, Romeo MA, Carboni F, Gallisai D, Solinas A, Malaguarnera M, Musumeci S. Interferon-alpha therapy in Sicilian and Sardinian polytransfused thalassaemic patients with chronic hepatitis C. BioDrugs. 1999 Jul;12(1):55-63. doi: 10.2165/00063030-199912010-00006. PMID: 18031162.
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BioDrugs. 1999 Jul;12(1):55-63. doi: 10.2165/00063030-199912010-00006.

Interferon-alpha therapy in Sicilian and Sardinian polytransfused thalassaemic patients with chronic hepatitis C.

BioDrugs : clinical immunotherapeutics, biopharmaceuticals and gene therapy

G Pizzarelli, F Di Gregorio, M A Romeo, F Carboni, D Gallisai, A Solinas, M Malaguarnera, S Musumeci

Affiliations

  1. Department of Paediatrics, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.

PMID: 18031162 DOI: 10.2165/00063030-199912010-00006

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Our study was designed to evaluate the effects of 2 dosage schedules of recombinant interferon (IFN)-alpha (IFNalpha-2a and IFNalpha-2b) in reducing serum ALT and eradicating serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in beta-thalassaemic patients with chronic hepatitis C.

DESIGN: 38 Sicilian beta-thalassaemic patients (22 males and 16 females) received intramuscular IFNalpha-2a (Roferon-A((R)); Roche) 5 MU/m(2) 3 times weekly for 6 months, followed by 3 MU/m(2) 3 times weekly for a further 6 months. 13 Sardinian beta-thalassaemic patients (7 males and 6 females) received intramuscular IFNalpha-2b (Intron(R); Schering-Plough) 3 MU/m(2) 3 times weekly for 12 months. Parallel control groups (n = 20 and n = 8, respectively) did not receive IFNalpha. All patients received continuous subcutaneous desferoxamine infusion.

RESULTS: 24 (63%) Sicilian patients had a positive clinical response to IFNalpha-2a therapy. Two different patterns of response were apparent: (i) early and progressive decrease in ALT values until stable normalisation; and (ii) slower reduction of ALT values, which fluctuated on the way to normalisation. Five (21%) patients relapsed during the 12-month follow-up period. ALT levels decreased early in 5 (38%) Sardinian patients and one patient (20%) relapsed during the 12-month follow-up period. In the control groups, ALT values spontaneously normalised in 3 (10%) untreated patients. None of the patients treated with IFNalpha developed anti-IFNalpha antibodies. Viral clearance was demonstrated in 19 (50%) of 38 patients in the Sicilian group and 4 of 13 patients (31%) in the Sardinian group.

CONCLUSION: Treatment with intramuscular recombinant IFNalpha-2a 5 MU/m(2) 3 times weekly for 6 months, followed by 3 MU/m(2) 3 times weekly for 6 months, appeared to be more effective than intramuscular IFNalpha-2b 3 MU/m(2) 3 times weekly for 12 months.

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