Recombinant human γ-interferon in patients with chronic active hepatitis B: Pharmacokinetics, tolerance and biological effects

✍ Scribed by Patrick Marcellin; Marie-Anne Loriot; Nathalie Boyer; Michéle Martinot-Peignoux; Claude Degott; Françoise Degos; Maud Brandely; Bernard Lenfant; Dr. Jean-Pierre Benhamou

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1990
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 397 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0270-9139
• DOI: 10.1002/hep.1840120124

✦ Synopsis

Pharmacokinetics, tolerance and biological effects of human recombinant y-interferon were studied in 12 patients with chronic active hepatitis B. Serum concentrations of y-interferon were measured by radioimmunoassay in four patients after a subcutaneous injection of 10 million U (0.6 mg); the peak serum concentration of y-interferon (29 * 7 U / d ) was reached after 5 to 8 hr and y-interferon remained detectable for 24 to 36 hr. Twelve patients received recombinant y-interferon, 2.5 to 10 million U daily, for 4 mo. All suffered from a dose-dependent, flulike syndrome similar to that induced by *interferon. Recombinant y-interferon induced a marked increase of serum ALT and a significant decrease of serum hepatitis B virus-DNA. Serum hepatitis B virus-DNA disappeared in one patient during administration of recombinant y-interferon. Serum hepatitis B virus-DNA disappeared in four additional patients, and HBeAg disappeared in two patients during the 12 mo after administration of recombinant y-interferon.

These results indicate that subcutaneous iqjection is suitable for administration of recombinant yinterferon and that recombinant y-interferon has an antiviral effect in patients with chronic active hepatitis B. (HEPATOLOGY 1990;12:155-158.)