Randomized Controlled Trial of a Four Month Course of Recombinant Human Alpha Interferon in Patients with Chronic Type B Hepatitis

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is major cause of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma world-wide (1). No therapy has yet been proven to be of definite benefit in improving the natural outcome of this infection. The most promising modality of treatment for this condition has been prolonged courses of alpha interferon (IFNα) (2,3). Other agents have either not been successful in achieving the aims stated above or have resulted in unacceptable side effects (4,5). In pilot studies, treatment of chronic type B hepatitis with IFNα has been shown to result in a response rate of between 22–40% (6,7). We undertook a randomized controlled trial of a four month course of recombinant human IFNα (rIFNα) in patients with chronic type B hepatitis.