@article {17433,
	title = {IFN-alpha2b monotherapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C and persistently normal or near normal aminotransferase activity: a randomized, controlled study},
	journal = {J Interferon Cytokine ResJ Interferon Cytokine ResJ Interferon Cytokine Res},
	volume = {22},
	number = {3},
	year = {2002},
	note = {Tassopoulos, Nicholas CVafiadis, IreneTsantoulas, DimitriosSyrokosta, JuliaHatzis, GregoryDelladetsima, Johanna KDemonakou, MariaSypsa, VanaHatzakis, Angelos EengClinical TrialComparative StudyRandomized Controlled Trial2002/05/30 10:00J Interferon Cytokine Res. 2002 Mar;22(3):365-9. doi: 10.1089/107999002753675794.},
	month = {Mar},
	pages = {365-9},
	abstract = {To determine the effect of interferon-alpha2b (IFN-alpha2b) on the long-term suppression of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in patients with persistently normal or near normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity, 76 previously untreated patients with serum HCV RNA and ALT levels <1.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) were randomized to receive either interferon-alpha2b (IFN-alpha2b) 5 MU three times a week for 24 weeks (n = 37) or no treatment (n = 39). HCV RNA testing was performed at the end of treatment and after a 6-month follow-up period. Intention-to-treat analysis showed that HCV RNA was detected significantly less frequently in treated than in untreated patients, at the end of both treatment and follow-up (43.2\% vs. 7.7\%, p < 0.001, and 21.6\% vs. 5.1\%, p = 0.033, respectively). Among treated patients, sustained virologic response was significantly higher in non-1 than in genotype 1 patients (8 of 26 or 30.8\% vs. 0 of 11, p = 0.038). According to multiple logistic regression, untreated patients had a 13.5 times greater risk to be HCV RNA-positive compared with treated patients (p = 0.040). ALT levels flared up in 3 treated and 9 untreated patients (p = 0.07), suggesting that these flare-ups are related to the natural course of chronic HCV infection rather than to IFN-alpha2b. Thus, such patients could benefit from an IFN-alpha2b in combination with ribavirin regimen.},
	keywords = {Adult, Alanine Transaminase/*blood, Antiviral Agents/*therapeutic use, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Genotype, Hepacivirus/genetics, Hepatitis C, Chronic/*drug therapy/*enzymology/virology, Humans, Interferon-alpha/*therapeutic use, Male, Middle Aged, RNA, Viral/blood, Viral Load},
	isbn = {1079-9907 (Print)1079-9907 (Linking)},
	author = {Tassopoulos, N. C. and Vafiadis, I. and Tsantoulas, D. and Syrokosta, J. and Hatzis, G. and Delladetsima, J. K. and Demonakou, M. and Sypsa, V and Hatzakis, A. E.}
}
