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  • Title: Interferon therapy for 2 years or longer reduces the incidence of hepatocarcinogenesis in patients with chronic hepatitis C viral infection.
    Author: Arase Y, Ikeda K, Tsubota A, Suzuki F, Suzuki Y, Saitoh S, Kobayashi M, Akuta N, Someya T, Hosaka T, Sezaki H, Kobayashi M, Kumada H.
    Journal: Intervirology; 2004; 47(6):355-61. PubMed ID: 15564748.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this clinical study was to determine the effect of long-term interferon (IFN) administration on the incidence of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) in chronic hepatitis C patients, without eradication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) by IFN therapy. METHODS: The number of patients with biopsy-proven chronic hepatitis with moderate or severe staging, HCV genotype 1b, a high viral load exceeding 1 MEq/ml (mega equivalents per milliliter), who received 6 MU of natural IFN-alpha daily for 2-8 weeks, followed by three times/week for 16-22 weeks, as initial IFN therapy, and positivity for HCV RNA during IFN administration was 131. 47 of the 131 patients continued to be treated with IFN (long-term IFN group, dose 3 or 6 MU twice or three times weekly for 1.5-10.5 years, median 4.0 years) after initial IFN therapy, while 84 patients did not receive any IFN therapy apart from the initial 6-month course (no-add-IFN group). The patients were prospectively monitored, and the cumulative incidence of HCC and risk factors for HCC were examined. RESULTS: The 5- and 10-year cumulative rates of HCC were 1.9 and 6.4% and 1.9 and 26.8% for long-term IFN and no-add-IFN groups, respectively. Cox regression analysis indicated that the relative risk of HCC in the patients of the no-add-IFN group was 8.72 times of that in patients of the long-term IFN group. CONCLUSION: Long-term IFN therapy in patients with chronic HCV infection is effective in preventing hepatocarcinogenesis.
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