The current standard-of-care for chronic hepatitis C viral infection is treatment with pegylated interferon (PegIFN) plus ribavirin for 24 to 48 weeks. Approximately 50% of HCV-infected patients achieve a sustained viral response (SVR) to this treatment. However, the remaining patients either respond during treatment but relapse upon treatment cessation, respond minimally, or do not respond at ...

INTRODUCTION Treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) and ribavirin leads to sustained virological response (SVR) in approximately 50% of the patients. SVR depends on hepatitis C virus (HCV) and host factors, including IL28B genotypes. OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of the difficult-to-treat HCV genotype 1b in pati...

To assess the safety and possible efficacy of recombinant human interferon alfa-2b in preventing the development of chronic hepatitis, 24 adults (eight men, 16 women) with acute non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis were recruited to a pilot study. Half of the cases were parenterally transmitted and half were community acquired. Twelve patients received 3 million units (MU) interferon three times weekl...

BACKGROUND In metastatic renal cell carcinoma combinations of interferon alfa-2a, interleukin-2, and fluorouracil produce higher response rates and longer progression-free survival than do single agents. We aimed to compare overall survival in patients receiving combination treatment or interferon alfa-2a. METHODS RE04/30012 was an open-label randomised trial undertaken in 50 centres across e...

Purpose: Somatostatin analogs and interferon alfa control hormone-active/functional neuroendocrine gastroenteropancreatic tumors. In addition to hormonal control, variable degrees of antiproliferative effects for both agents have been reported. Until now, however, no prospective, randomized studies in therapy-naive patients have compared somatostatin analogs or interferon alfa alone with a comb...

Fig 1. Photo-distributed eruption in a patient on simeprevir. The patient presented with a large erosion of the lower vermilion with honey-colored and hemorrhagic crusting (A) and ill-defined erythematous plaques with overlying tense bullae on the dorsolateral hands (B). INTRODUCTION Recently there has been a rapid evolution in the treatment of hepatitis C heralded by development of the direct-...

CONTEXT Inflammatory cytokines or cytokine inducers can alter basal ganglia activity, including reducing responsiveness to rewarding stimuli that may be mediated by cytokine effects on dopamine function. OBJECTIVES To determine whether long-term administration of the inflammatory cytokine interferon alfa reduces the basal ganglia response to reward and whether such changes are associated with...

Nucleos(t)ide analogues have proven useful in the treatment of viral infections. Ribavirin is a nucleoside, guanosine analogue, whose mechanisms of action include inhibition of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH), which is the key step in de novo guanine synthesis, a requirement for viral replication. In combination with pegylated interferon alfa, ribavirin is the standard of care for t...

1 Dodecanissou Street, Athens 12351, Greece. Abstract To assess the safety and possible efficacy of recombinant human interferon alfa-2b in preventing the development of chronic hepatitis, 24 adults (eight men, 16 women) with acute non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis were recruited to a pilot study. Half of the cases were parenterally transmitted and half were community acquired. Twelve patients rece...

Cure of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is achievable without interferon alfa through the use of new direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs. In this era of interferon alfa-sparing therapy, however, interferon alfa sensitivity still matters, even as it turns out, if interferon alfa is not used. Inclusion of ribavirin in the treatment regimen remains a factor in treatment response, as does duratio...