[Combined Recombinant Alpha and Gamma Interferon Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection]


Gómez C, La Banda F, Porres JC, Mora I, Andres A, Bartolomé J, Quiroga JA, Gútiez J, Castillo I, Bas C, Armenteros A, Ibarra MZ, Carreño V.

Forty HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBV-DNA positive patients with a histologically proven CAAH were randomly allocated to one of the following groups: I (n=8) 10 MU of rIFN-alpha m2 body surface for 6 mo; II) (n=8) 2 MU of rIFN-gamma under the same conditions; III) (n=8) 10 MU of rIFN-alpha/m2 for 3 mo and then 2 MU of rIFN-gamma/m2 for another 3 mo; IV) (n=8) simultaneous administration in each injection of 5 MU of rIFN-alpha and 1 MU of rIFN-gamma/m2 for 6 mo; and V) (n=8) control group, without treatment. All treated patients were given IFN twice weekly by intramuscular injections. No basic differences between the groups were observed.

All patients completed the treatment. No significant toxiciy was observed in any of the groups. At the end of the treatment period a total of seven (three from group III) treated patients were HBV-DNA negative, while only one of the controls became negative to this marker. During the follow-up, another four patients lost circulating HBV-DNA, three belonging to group IV. Four control patients became HBV-DNA negative. At 12 mo, three treated patients were HBeAg negative, two from group IV. At the time, none of the controls were HBeAg negative.

These preliminary results suggest that combined therapy with rIFN-alpha and -gamma is well tolerated. In addition, this type of treatment seems to lead to better results than when only type of rIFN is given.