Additive therapeutic effects of the liver extract preparation mixture adelavin-9 on interferon-β treatment for chronic hepatitis C

Background/Aims: We previously reported that intravenous interferon-β administration was effective in treating patients with chronic hepatitis C and that there was no significant correlation between the response to therapy and host in vitro immunoglobulin production. The aims of this study were to evaluate the additive effect of a liver extract preparation and flavin adenine dinucleotide mixture and to reevaluate the correlation. Methodology: 65 patients with chronic hepatitis C received intravenously 6 million units of interferon-β and 2mL of a liver extract preparation and flavin adenine dinucleotide mixture. The results of this study were compared with those of our previous study, on interferon-β monotherapy in 91 patients with chronic hepatitis C. In addition, peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained before interferon-β administration and cultured. Immunoglobulin concentrations in their supernatants were measured and the correlation with the interferon response was evaluated. Results: The virological end-of-treatment or sustained response occurred in 49 of 58 cases (84.5%), and 16 of 58 cases (27.6%), respectively. Biochemical end-of-treatment or sustained responses occurred in 22 of 58 cases (37.9%), and 30 of 58 cases (51.7%), respectively. These response rates were higher than those reported in our previous study of interferon monotherapy. Monovariate analysis indicated that the use of the liver extract preparation and flavin adenine dinucleotide mixture was a significant predictor of the virological end-of-treatment response and the sustained biochemical response, but by multivariate analysis these relationships were not significant. Immunoglobulin production was not correlated with the virological and biochemical responses. Conclusions: This study indicated that combination therapy with intravenous interferon-β and the liver extract preparation and flavin adenine dinucleotide mixture was more effective than intravenous interferon-β monotherapy. However, no correlation between the interferon response and in vitro immunoglobulin production was observed.