Combining IgG and interferon alpha-2b in chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

ABSTRACT

Treatment of chronic active hepatitis C virus (HCV) liver disease remains unsatisfactory. Interferon alpha 2b (IFN) has shown favorable though often unsustained effects. Besides its antiviral properties, IFN is a recognized immune modulator. We present data showing the favorable evolution of a case treated with IFN and IgG. Besides the antibody repertoire, the influence of IgG on the immune network is increasingly considered. The complex interactions resulting from combining drugs with immunomodulatory properties, such as IFN and different IgG preparations, may sound confusing. However, it might provide an insight into the outcome of chronic HCV infection, in which, evidently, immune components are heavily implicated. Prolonged treatment, with high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) seemed to be effective, either independently or by potentiating IFN.