Is there a role for interferon in acute viral hepatitis?
- 1 January 1993
- Vol. 34 (2 Suppl) , S77-S80
- https://doi.org/10.1136/gut.34.2_suppl.s77
Abstract
Acute hepatitis B is a self limiting disease that resolves spontaneously in 95% of patients who acquire the infection in adulthood. Patients with acute hepatitis B, however, usually take between four and 12 weeks to recover; the personal, social, and sanitary costs associated with this are high. Also, 5-10% of patients with acute hepatitis B go on to develop chronic liver disease. Hepatitis C, by comparison, is an asymptomatic disease associated with a high progression to the chronic stage. At least 50% of patients with post-transfusion hepatitis C develop chronic liver disease or cirrhosis. While the efficacy of alpha interferon in chronic hepatitis B and C is now well established, only preliminary evidence for use in the acute phase exists. This paper reviews the preliminary evidence and concludes that, given the high risk of progression to the chronic stage, the use of interferon in acute hepatitis C should be recommended.Keywords
This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:
- Interferon–α in Acute Posttransfusion Hepatitis C:. A Randomized, Controlled TrialHepatology, 1992
- Resolution of acute hepatitis C after therapy with natural beta interferonThe Lancet, 1991
- Interferon therapy for acute posttransfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis: response with respect to anti-hepatitis C virus antibody status.1991