Is interferon-alpha therapy safe and effective for patients with chronic hepatitis C and inflammatory bowel disease?
Bargiggia S; Thorburn D; Anderloni A; Ardizzone S; Giorgi A; Bianchi Porro G; Parente F Academic Department of Gastroenterology, L.Sacco University Hospital, Milan, Italy. BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus infection is more common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease than in general population. Limited data are available as to the safety and efficacy of alpha-interferon therapy for chronic active hepatitis C in patients with concomitant inflammatory bowel disease. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of alpha-interferon monotherapy in patients with chronic active hepatitis C and inactive or mildly active inflammatory bowel disease. METHODS: A total of 513 consecutive inflammatory bowel disease patients at a single centre were tested for antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-hepatitis C virus) between 1995 and 2000. Twenty-one patients had detectable anti-hepatitis C virus Ab and were hepatitis C virus-RNA positive with histologically proved chronic active hepatitis. Each of thes
