STUDIES OF THE NATURAL HISTORY AND TREATMENT OF CHRONIC TYPE C HEPATITIS

有充分证据的慢性丙型肝炎患者正在接受评估 为了确定这一常见形式的长期自然历史 慢性肝病。一群这样的患者可以 评估实验性疗法。此前的研究表明， α-干扰素治疗对人类有短期的有益作用 大约50%的患者。这一反应在 停用干扰素后约20%。一种随机的安慰剂- 利巴韦林的对照试验表明，这种药物的1年疗程 核苷类似物与显著改善 血清转氨酶活性与肝小叶坏死的关系 尽管血清中丙型肝炎病毒核糖核酸水平没有变化。连续利巴韦林 长达两年的治疗证明了长期治疗的可行性 这种疾病的抑制疗法。一项对照试验 设计了利巴韦林和干扰素的联合制剂。

Patients with well-documented chronic hepatitis C are being evaluated to determine the long-term natural history of this common form of chronic liver disease. A cohort of such patients are available to evaluate experimental therapies. Previous studies have shown that alpha interferon therapy has a short-term beneficial effect in approximately 50% of patients. This response is sustained in approximately 20% after stopping interferon. A randomized, placebo- controlled trial of ribavirin showed that a 1 year course of this nucleoside analogue is associated with significant improvement in serum aminotransferase activities and in hepatic lobular necrosis despite unchanged serum levels of HCV RNA. Continous ribavirin therapy for up to 2 years demonstrates the practicality of long term supressive therapy in this disease. A controlled trial of the combination of ribavirin and interferon has been designed.