Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0019158 (hepatitis)
 30,205 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The possible enhancement effect of acyclovir or its prodrug descyclovir in combination with human lymphoblastoid interferon (Wellferon) was studied in three trials with a total of 146 patients with chronic hepatitis B; a pilot study (Study 1; n = 12), two randomized controlled studies, one with a combination of descyclovir and interferon (Study 2; n = 36) and the other using acyclovir and interferon (Study 3; n = 98). The results from Study 1 and 2 showed that combination therapy with interferon and acyclovir or descyclovir (n = 25) was associated with a 40% HBe+ seroconversion rate, compared to 30% with interferon treatment alone (n = 10), 18% with acyclovir alone (n = 11) and 0% with no treatment (n = 18). Preliminary results from Study 3 on rate of HBe-seroconversion are similar to previous studies. Antiviral therapy with interferon and acyclovir or its prodrug, have resulted in significantly enhanced HBe seroconversion. The intravenous acyclovir component of combination therapy is however cumbersome and research should be directed towards finding an oral anti-hepatitis drug.
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PMID:Treatment of chronic hepatitis B with a combination of acyclovir and human lymphoblastoid interferon. 324 17

Interferon alfa-n1 is produced from a lymphoid cell line and consists of multiple alpha interferon subtypes. Early studies indicated that interferon alfa-n1 was effective against hepatitis C, and a meta-analysis of published trials indicated that it was equally likely as recombinant alpha interferons to produce an end-of-treatment biochemical and histological response. However, there appeared to be a lower rate of posttreatment relapse after a 6-month course of interferon alfa-n1, so that the sustained response rate was 25% compared with 16% for recombinant alpha interferons. Subsequently, the efficacy of interferon alfa-n1 has been compared with recombinant alpha interferon directly in two large multicenter studies. The 096 International Hepatitis Comparative Study compared alfa-n1 with interferon alfa-2b in doses of 3 million units (MU) three times weekly for 24 weeks in a total of 1,071 patients. Biochemical end-of-treatment response rates were similar (35% for alfa-n1; 38% for alfa-2b), as were virological and histological responses. Relapse occurred more frequently after interferon alfa-2b, so that sustained biochemical (10.3% vs. 6.7%) and virological responses at 12 months were higher for alfa-n1. In a second study from Italy, interferon alfa-n1 was compared with interferon alfa-2a, using higher doses (6 MU three times weekly) until a biochemical response was obtained, and then using 3 MU three times weekly for a total of 12 months. The combined biochemical and virological sustained response rates were higher than reported with 6 months of treatment and were similar for alfa-n1 (17%) as for alfa-2a (16%). The superiority of 12 versus 6 months of treatment was also confirmed in the large multicenter 091 European Comparative Treatment Schedules study of 440 patients given four different regimens of therapy. Sustained biochemical response rates were 6% in patients who received 3 MU three times weekly for 6 months and 19% in those who received this dose for 12 months. When given for 12 months, there was no advantage to a slightly higher dose of interferon alfa-n1 (5 MU three times weekly). Thus, therapy with interferon alfa-n1 produces sustained response rates equivalent to the best obtained with recombinant alpha interferon. The optimal treatment regimen appears to be 3 MU given three times weekly for 12 months.
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PMID:Therapy of hepatitis C: interferon alfa-n1 trials. 930 72