Search results for "Interferon"

Treatment of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive chronic hepatitis with recombinant leucocyte α-A interferon

1986

A total of 32 individuals with HBsAg-positive and anti-delta-negative chronic hepatitis were treated with recombinant alpha-A interferon in phase I and phase II studies. In 5/32 patients HBsAg could be eliminated and in 19/32 individuals HBeAg became negative including all those who also eliminated HBsAg. Side-effects were tolerable in most patients and were readily reversible upon discontinuation of interferon therapy. In conclusion, treatment of HBsAg-positive chronic hepatitis with interferon seems to be a promising therapeutic approach. Future studies will have to establish the optimal dose, duration of treatment and factors predicting a favourable outcome of the treatment.

Hyperuricaemia: another metabolic feature affecting the severity of chronic hepatitis because of HCV infection.

2011

Background Several works observed a link between uric acid serum levels and clinical and histological features of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. An association between chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and uric acid levels has been poorly investigated. Aims To assess the potential association between uric acid serum levels and both histological features of liver damage and sustained virological response (SVR) in a homogeneous cohort of CHC patients. Methods Consecutive biopsy-proven CHC patients were included. Hyperuricaemia was diagnosed with uric acid serum levels >7 mg/dl in men, and >6 mg/dl in women. Patients underwent therapy with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin. Results Hyperuricaemia…

Who is more likely to respond to dual treatment with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C? A gender-oriented analysis.

2013

Summary We assessed, in real-life practice, viral, demographic, genetic and metabolic factors influencing the sustained virologic response (SVR), with a gender-oriented analysis, in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. Six hundred and seventy naive patients were treated with dual therapy and evaluated by gender and HCV genotype. Associations between baseline variables and SVR were assessed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Among 362 genotype 1 patients, SVR was achieved in 158 patients (44%), and SVR was independently associated with age less than 50 years (OR 2.12; 95% CI 1.09–4.30; P = 0.039) and C/C genotype rs12979860…

Baseline prediction of combination therapy outcome in hepatitis C virus 1b infected patients by discriminant analysis using viral and host factors.

2010

Background Current treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has limited efficacy −especially among genotype 1 infected patients−, is costly, and involves severe side effects. Thus, predicting non-response is of major interest for both patient wellbeing and health care expense. At present, treatment cannot be individualized on the basis of any baseline predictor of response. We aimed to identify pre-treatment clinical and virological parameters associated with treatment failure, as well as to assess whether therapy outcome could be predicted at baseline. Methodology Forty-three HCV subtype 1b (HCV-1b) chronically infected patients treated with pegylated-interferon alpha plus ri…

Sustained elimination of hepatitis B virus from serum induced in a patient with chronic hepatitis B and advanced human immunodeficiency virus infecti…

1994

A 48-year-old male patient was admitted with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (stage III, Centers for Disease Control 1993) and viremic hepatitis B. Blood CD4 count was 15/microliters. Discontinuation of prednisolone, previously prescribed by the patient's family practitioner because of elevated liver enzymes, resulted in severe hepatitis (alanine aminotransferase > 300U/l). Administration of interferon-alpha (9 x 10(6) U s.c. 3 x weekly) was initiated. Serum markers of viral replication disappeared, and aminotransferase levels returned to normal within a few weeks. The patient's serum was found negative for HBsAg after 3 months. Immunohistochemical analysis of liver biopsies before and d…

Acute polymyositis during treatment of acute hepatitis C with pegylated interferon alpha-2b.

2005

Hepatitis C virus is not cleared after primary infection in 50-85% of subjects exposed to hepatitis C virus. Anti-viral treatment during the early phase of infection significantly enhances the likelihood of a sustained clearance of hepatitis C virus. Although, a variety of autoimmune-related side effects have been observed during interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis, immuno-mediated adverse reactions have not been reported during treatment of acute hepatitis C. We describe the case of a patient who developed acute hepatitis C virus infection and, while receiving pegylated interferon alpha-2b monotherapy, developed a severe polymyositis. This case illustrates the potential risk of autoim…

Insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus in patients with chronic hepatitis C: spectators or actors?

2012

Recovery of Varicella-Zoster Virus–Specific T Cell Immunity after T Cell–Depleted Allogeneic Transplantation Requires Symptomatic Virus Reactivation

2008

Abstract Reactivated varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection causes herpes zoster and commonly occurs after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Because VZV-specific T cell immunity is essential to prevent virus reactivation, we developed an interferon-γ enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISPOT) assay for the sensitive detection of VZV-reactive T cells at the single-cell level ex vivo. We used this assay to monitor the frequency of VZV-reactive T cells in 17 seropositive patients during the first year after T cell–depleted allo-HSCT. The patients did not receive anti-herpesvirus prophylaxis after stem cell engraftment. Independent of the magnitude of transferred d…

Cellular immune response of a varicella vaccine following simultaneous DTaP and VZV vaccination.

1999

Abstract Background : Chickenpox and zoster are an important cause of morbidity among children and adults. The ability of a new, thermostable vaccine to induce varicella–zoster-virus (VZV)-specific humoral and cell mediated immunity when given simultaneously with diphtheria–tetanus-acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP) as a booster dose in the second year of life was investigated. Methods : A new, temperature stable varicella vaccine (OKA-strain, SB-Biologicals, Rixensart, Belgium) was given simultaneously with a booster dose of DTaP vaccine. VZV-specific humoral and cell-mediated immunity was studied in the first 27 out of 232 vaccinated children at 16–28 months of age, from blood samples dra…

Identification of Naïve Hcv-1 Patients with Chronic Hepatitis who may Benefit from Dual Therapy with Peg-Interferon and Ribavirin.

2014

Background & Aims The pool of HCV genotype 1 patients likely to be cured by peg-interferon and ribavirin remains to be quantified. Methods In 1045 patients treated with peg-interferon and ribavirin, two therapeutic strategies were confronted: the first one evaluated only baseline variables associated with sustained virological response (SVR), and the second one included the rapid virologic response (RVR) in addition to baseline predictors. An 80% SVR rate was the threshold to retain a strategy as clinically relevant. Results Overall, 414 patients (39.6%) attained SVR. In the first strategy, the hierarchy of features independently associated with SVR was IL28B CC genotype (OR 5.082; CI 3.637…