Combination therapy with interferon alfa and ribavirin as retreatment of interferon relapse in chronic hepatitis C.

Interferon (IFN) results in normalization of the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), loss of detectable serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA, and histologic improvement in approximately 40% of patients. However, regardless of the duration of initial therapy, most patients relapse within the first few months after the drug is stopped and only a small proportion have a sustained response. Retreatment of IFN relapsers with the combination of IFN and oral ribavirin for 6 months results in end-of-treatment loss of detectable HCV RNA and normalization of the ALT level in over 80% of patients. Nearly half achieve a sustained viral-negative response. Histologic improvement occurs in nearly two thirds of patients retreated with combination therapy and is most pronounced in those who lose serum HCV-RNA.