Article Text
Abstract
BACKGROUND Less than 15% of patients with chronic hepatitis C show a sustained virological response to interferon treatment.
AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of different doses of ketoprofen combined with interferon-α 2b in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
PATIENTS/METHODS Seventy compensated patients with chronic hepatitis C received interferon-α 2b 3 million units three times a week for six months. They were randomly assigned to: group 1 (n = 23), interferon-α 2b alone; group 2 (n = 23), interferon-α 2b plus 200 mg ketoprofen three times a week; group 3 (n = 24), interferon-α 2b plus 200 mg ketoprofen twice a day. Complete and sustained responses were defined as normal serum alanine aminotransferase levels and negative serum hepatitis C virus RNA at six and 12 months respectively.
RESULTS Complete and sustained responses were similar in groups 1 and 2: 10%v 5% and 5% v0% respectively. In group 3, complete response was 29% (p = 0.13v group 1 and p = 0.04v group 2) and sustained response was 26% (p = 0.07 v group 1 and p = 0.01v group 2). Overall, adverse events were similar in the three groups. However, 'flu-like syndrome was less common in group 2 (30%) and group 3 (37%) than in group 1 (77%) (p = 0.01).
CONCLUSIONS Twice daily ketoprofen administration combined with interferon-α 2b produced an increase in complete and sustained responses. Although the combination of interferon-α 2b with ketoprofen was well tolerated and decreased the incidence of 'flu-like syndrome, it is advisable to monitor possible non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug hepatotoxicity.
- interferon-α
- ketoprofen
- non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs
- prostaglandins
- viral hepatitis
- hepatitis C
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Footnotes
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↵* A Podestá died in November 1995.
- Abbreviations used in this paper:
- IFN
- interferon
- HCV
- hepatitis C virus
- NSAID
- non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug
- ALT
- alanine aminotransferase
- PCR
- polymerase chain reaction