Long-term follow-up of HBeAg-positive patients treated with interferon alfa for chronic hepatitis B

Article Abstract:

Interferon alpha appears to be effective in reducing the rate of complications and death from chronic hepatitis B. Researchers gave 103 people with chronic hepatitis B from 2 million to 10 million units of interferon alpha for four to six months and compared their outcome to 53 untreated people with the disease (the control group). All participants were followed from 1 to 7 years. Forty percent of the patients taking interferon alpha cleared hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) from their blood. At five years, 56% of this group had cleared the antigen, compared to 28% of those in the control group. In most of those who cleared HBeAg, evidence of liver dysfunction disappeared. Only 16 of the 103 treated patients developed complications of hepatitis B, including cirrhosis and liver failure. All but one still had HBeAg in their blood. Thirteen of those in the control group developed complications of their disease and all still had HBeAg in their blood. At 7 years, almost all those who had cleared the antigen were alive compared to 40% of those who did not.

Physiological aspects, Drug therapy, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis associated antigen, Hepatitis B e-antigen

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Recombinant human interleukin-2, recombinant human interferon alfa-2a, or both in metastatic renal-cell carcinoma

Article Abstract:

Interleukin-2 and interferon alfa-2a combined may be more effective than either alone in patients with a type of kidney cancer called renal-cell carcinoma. Researchers randomly assigned 425 patients with renal-cell carcinoma to receive either interleukin-2, interferon alfa-2a or both drugs. At 10 weeks, 18.6% of the patients receiving both drugs had responded, compared to 6.5% to 7.5% of those receiving either drug alone. There was no difference in survival rates, but those receiving both drugs were more likely to survive without relapse. Side effects were more common in those receiving interleukin-2.

Care and treatment, Interleukin-2, Carcinoma, Renal cell, Renal cell carcinoma

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Screening for hemochromatosis and iron deficiency in employees and primary care patients in Western Germany

Article Abstract:

Hemochromatosis, or iron overload, appears to be about as common as iron deficiency, at least in men. German physicians screened about 6,000 men and women for signs of hemochromatosis and iron deficiency. Twenty-eight had signs of hemochromatosis and 6 of their siblings were also affected. Of those 34 people, 30 had not progressed to cirrhosis of the liver, a common complication of hemochromatosis. The rate of hemochromatosis among men was about 1%, while the rate of iron deficiency was 2%. In contrast, the rate of iron deficiency in the women was about 6%.

Statistics, Hemochromatosis, Iron deficiency diseases

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