Efficacy of interferon-alpha treatment in Japanese children with chronic hepatitis C

BACKGROUND: We investigated the efficacy of natural interferon (IFN)-alpha treatment in 34 Japanese children with chronic hepatitis C. METHODS: Thirty-four children completed 6 months of therapy with natural IFN-alpha and were followed for 12 months or longer. We examined the serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA titer and liver histology before, during, and after IFN treatment. RESULTS: At 6 months after the cessation of IFN-alpha treatment, 16 patients (47%) had normal serum alanine aminotransferase concentration and no detectable serum HCV RNA. There were no major side-effects, excluding some influenza-like symptoms during the IFN-alpha treatment. Most genotype 2a patients had a complete response (80%). Moreover, patients who had a low HCV RNA titer (<102 copies/mL) after 1 month of IFN-alpha treatment became complete responders at 6 months after the cessation of treatment. Histological improvement was observed in almost all patients after IFN-alpha treatment. CONCLUSION: Interferon-alpha treatment is safe and effective for children with chronic hepatitis C and has no serious side-effects. A HCV RNA concentration of <102 copies/mL after 1 month of IFN-alpha treatment and genotype 2a may be useful predictors of long-term IFN efficacy.