Abstract
84 chronic hepatitis patients who could not started ribavirin combined therapy due to advanced age and the low value of blood cell counts or prior non responders, treated with pegylated interferon alfa-2a monotherapy, which performed more than two years observation were examined efficacy and safety retrospectively. The very low incidences of hepatocellular carcinoma were observed 0% in year 1, 1.6% in year 2, and 1.6% in year 3 in the patients without previously had a hepatocellular carcinoma. The median value of AFP and ALT was significantly decrease compared between pretreatment and week 96. The HCV-RNA negativity was observed in 31 patients (37%), and 2 log or more reduction were observed in 16 patients (19%). The median of platelets counts decreased in first four weeks, however the upward tendency was shown after 48 week. This treatment had the efficacy in HCV-RNA, ALT and AFP, it expected to inhibit the incidence of hepatocellar carcinoma.
