BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Interferon alpha (IFNα) is a known antiviral agent. A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted investigating the use of low-dose oral interferon alpha for preventing acute viral respiratory illnesses. METHODS Two hundred healthy adults aged 18-75 years were enrolled and completed weekly health data questionnaires to monitor for symptoms and impact...

INTRODUCTION Accelerated liver function deterioration has been recognized in renal transplant recipients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Although combination therapy with interferon plus ribavirin has been established as the standard treatment for patients with chronic HCV, the high risk of allograft rejection associated with interferon therapy has greatly discouraged the clinical use of...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Current guidelines for the management of patients with polycythemia vera (PV) derive from a few clinical trials and several uncontrolled clinical studies. The purpose of this paper is to critically review the available evidence in literature for selecting the best treatment in the single patient. METHODS The authors have been working in this field contributing origina...

Abbreviations: FCH, fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis; HAV, hepatitis A virus; HBIG, hepatitis B immunoglobulin; HBV, hepatitis B virus; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; HCV, hepatitis C virus; HCV-R, HCV recurrence; HDV, hepatitis D virus; HEV, hepatitis E virus; HVPG, hepatic venous pressure gradient; IgM, immunoglobulin M; LADR, low accelerated dose regimen; LAM, lamivudine; IFNa , interferon al...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether statins affect type 1 interferon responses in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). DESIGN Study effects of atorvastatin on type 1 interferon responses in Jurkat cells, mononuclear cells (MNCs) from therapy-naive patients with RRMS in vitro, and MNCs from interferon-treated RRMS patients in vivo in 4 conditions: no drug, statin only, interferon-beta onl...

in order to avoid using cytotoxic drugs and to minimize prednisolone side effects in frequent relapsing or steroid-dependent idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, 35 patients, 3 to 15 (mean= 8.1) years of age, were studied. while in remission for at least 6 weeks, the dose of prednisolone was reduced to 0.1-0.37 (mean= 0.23) mg/kg/day as a single dose for 12 to 72 (mean= 27.6) months. it was followed ...