Changes in ultrastructure of hepatocytes and liver test results before, during, and after treatment with interferon-beta in patients with HB(e)Ag-positive chronic active hepatitis.

We studied the histological and ultrastructural changes in the liver and alterations in the liver test results before, during, and after treatment with human interferon-beta from five patients with hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic active hepatitis. A daily dose of 3 x 10(6) to 6 x 10(6) units of interferon-beta was given intravenously for four weeks. The total index of periportal and portal inflammation, intralobular degeneration, and focal necrosis before treatment was decreased significantly six months after treatment (P less than 0.05). Ultrastructurally, the structure of endoplasmic reticulum was irregularly shaped or fragmentally decreased during treatment, but these disappeared six or 12 months after treatment. Glycogen particles diminished greatly during treatment. The alanine aminotransferase concentrations in these patients increased during treatment. Serum albumin and cholinesterase levels decreased significantly at the fourth week of treatment (P less than 0.01) and at the third day (P less than 0.01) to the second week (P less than 0.05) of treatment, respectively. These results suggest that interferon-beta injures endoplasmic reticulum and glycogen areas and damages the cholinesterase activity in the early stage of treatment and protein synthesis in patients with hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic active hepatitis.