%0 Comparative Study
%T Efficacy of consensus interferon in treatment of HbeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B: a multicentre, randomized controlled trial.
%A Zheng Y
%A Zhao L
%A Wu T
%A Guo S
%A Chen Y
%A Zhou T
%J Virol J
%V 6
%N 0
%D Jul 2009 9
%M 19586556
%F 5.913
%R 10.1186/1743-422X-6-99
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Consensus interferon (CIFN) is a newly developed type I interferon.<BR><B>OBJECTIVE: </B>This multicentre, controlled trial was conducted to determine the efficacy of CIFN and to compare it with alpha-1b-interferon (IFN-alpha1b) in the treatment of patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>144 Patients were randomly assigned to receive 9 microg CIFN (CIFN group) or 50 microg INF-alpha1b (IFN-alpha group) subcutaneously 3 times weekly for 24 weeks, followed by 24 weeks of observation. Efficacy was assessed by normalization of serum alanine transaminase (ALT) levels and the non-detectability of serum hepatitis B virus DNA or HBeAg at the end of treatment and 24 weeks after stopping treatment.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>There was no statistically significant difference in the serological, virological and biochemical parameters between CIFN and IFN-alpha1b groups at the end of the therapy and follow-up period (p > 0.05). Overall, at the end of treatment, 7.0% (5/71) and 35.2% (25/71) of patients in the CIFN group showed a complete or partial response compared with 7.4% (5/68) and 33.8% (23/68) of the IFN-alpha group (p = 0.10). At 24 weeks after stopping treatment, 6.9% (5/72) and 37.5% (27/72) of patients in the CIFN group showed complete response or partial response compared with 7.1% (5/70) and 34.3% (24/70) of the IFN-alpha group (p = 0.10).<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>These findings suggest that 9 microg CIFN is effective in the treatment of patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B. It can gradually induce ALT normalization and HBV DNA clearance and HBeAg loss or HBeAg/HBeAb seroconversion.