A randomized controlled clinical trial of recombinant interferon α‐2b in the treatment of acute post‐transfusion hepatitis C: A preliminary report

    January 1993 in “ Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology ”
    S‐J. HWANG, S‐D. LEE, Y. Lee, J‐C. WU, C‐Y. CHAN, Yi‐Hsiang Huang, Y‐J. WANG, K.-J. Lo
    TLDR Interferon α‐2b can temporarily reduce hepatitis C virus and normalize liver enzyme levels.
    In this study, 20 patients with acute post-transfusion hepatitis C were divided into two groups: one received recombinant interferon α‐2b treatment, and the other served as a control. After 3 months, 90% of the treated group normalized their serum ALT levels compared to 30% in the control group. However, after 6 months, the difference in ALT normalization between the groups was not statistically significant. The treatment group showed a higher rate of undetectable serum HCV RNA, with 50% losing the virus compared to 22% in the control group. The interferon treatment was generally well-tolerated, though minor side effects, including hair loss, were reported. The study concluded that interferon α‐2b could suppress viral RNA and normalize ALT levels, but further research was needed to determine its effect on preventing chronic hepatitis C.
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