Interferon therapy of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in Chinese

J Hepatol. 1986:3 Suppl 2:S209-15. doi: 10.1016/s0168-8278(86)80122-2.

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is prevalent in Chinese populations. 40.4% of 383 Chinese HBV carriers studied were HBeAg-positive. The annual rate of spontaneous clearance of HBeAg was 11%. Twenty-six patients with HBsAg- and HBeAg- and HBeAg-positive non-malignant chronic liver disease randomised to receive recombinant alpha-2 interferon or no treatment have been followed for 6 months or longer. Seven of the 20 treated patients cleared HBeAg during or shortly after treatment but this was sustained in only 1 patient. One of the 6 controls had transient loss of HBeAg. It is too early to conclude whether interferon has any long-term effect on the suppression of HBV replication in Chinese patients. Sixty-nine patients with histologically proven hepatocellular carcinoma were randomised to receive adriamycin or interferon. Although there was no significant benefit on survival, interferon therapy was associated with greater than 25% regression in tumor size in 12.5% of patients and less toxicity.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / therapy
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Doxorubicin / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Hepatitis B / ethnology
  • Hepatitis B / therapy*
  • Hepatitis B e Antigens / analysis
  • Hepatitis, Chronic / therapy*
  • Hong Kong
  • Humans
  • Interferon Type I / therapeutic use*
  • Liver Neoplasms / therapy
  • Male
  • Random Allocation
  • Recombinant Proteins / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Hepatitis B e Antigens
  • Interferon Type I
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Doxorubicin