Performance of Interferon Therapy in the Management of Patients with Acute and Chronic Hepatitis B

Abstract

Conventional interferon-α was the first agent used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Pegylated-interferon is easily administrated when compared to interferon-α. Both types are designed to work on the immunomodulation. The main focus of them is to decrease viral loads and increase rates of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion to antibody against HBeAg (anti-HBe).ELISA kits were used in order to test for HBsAg and HBeAg. Serum ALT and AST levels were measured by using automatic analyzer. The normal limits considered for ALT was 40 IU/L and for AST 35 IU/L. PCR was used to test Serum HBV DNA. The ratio of male to female is 1.84:1. Most of the patients are from rural areas with rural to urban ratio of 2.065:1. This statistical procedure showed that interferon and age are the only two variables that affect significantly the time till the event of recovery in the case of AHB or control state in the case of CHB. Liver cirrhosis was found in 13 (6.8%) of the total patients. Of them 10 (9%) patients were from the group of the CHB, whereas only 3 (3.8%) patients were from the AHB group.There is so far a paradox regarding the mechanism of interferon as a curative therapy for HBV infection. In this context, this study revealed that interferon therapy is significantly decrease hazard of liver complications which is in agreement with Maurizia, 2014. In addition reducing time toward recovery or controlled cases which in turn avoid more complications. This is also agreed with the theoretical progressed of the treatment mentioned in Maurizia, 2014. We can concluded that,Interferon treatment was found to be significantly reduce the hazard of the disease in both groups of patients as well as decreased the time till recovery or approaching controlled state. Cirrhosis was detected in 13 cases of the patients which most of the do not underwent a course of interferon therapy.