Recombinant Alfa-interferon Therapy in HBGN with HBe Antigenemia

Jeon, Un Sil; Kim, You Su; Jung, Yoon Chul; Yoon, Hyung Jin; Ahn, Cu Rie; Han, Jin Suk; Kim, Suhng Gwon; Lee, Jung Sang; Jung, Sun Il

Abstract

Recently the results of alpha-interferon treatement in hepatitis B virus associated glomerulonephritis showed a reduction of proteinuria and a loss of HBeAg in some treated patients. But, alpha- interferon therapy was mainly tried in membranous nephropathy of children. So, we treated 13 adults patients with recombinant alpha-interferon who were diagnosed as HBV associated membranous nephropathy(2) and membranoproliferative GN(11) at Seoul National unversity hospital. All of them had nephrotic range proteinuria and HBe antigenemia for more than 6 months, normal serum creatinine level and had no other systemic disease. Three million units of recombinant alpha-interferon was given six times a week for 16 weeks intramuscularly and the therapeutic effect was analyzed during treatment periods, especially in terms of changes in urine protein excretion and serum HBeAg. And we compared them with 14 control patients who had received conservative therapy only. As a results, at the end of interferon therapy, serum HBeAg disappeared in 4 of 13 treated patients, and serum HBsAg disappeared in 1 of 4. At the end of therapy, proteinuria diminished to non-nephrotuc range in 6 of 13 treated patients and decrement of proteinuria was accompanied with disappearance of serum HBeAg in 3 patients. And proteinuria diminished in 5 of 11 MPGN patients and serum HBeAg disappread in 3 of them. But in 14 controls there were no significant changes in 24 hour urine protein excretion and serum HBeAg. During interferon therapy, mild febrile reaction was developed in 8 patients, anemia in 3 patients, and cytopenia in 7 patients, but most of these adverse effects resolved spontaneously after discontinuation of interferon therapy. During follow up periods over 1 years, proteinuria relapsed to nephrotic range in 3 of 6 patients and serum HBeAg reappreared in 2 of them. In conclusion, the alpha-interferon at the dose induced a clearance of HBeAg and the decrement of the proteinuria in some adult MN and MPGN patients. And these results suggested the possibilities that HBeAg might be involved in the pathogenesis of HBV associated MPGN and alpha-interferon might be effective in some HBV associated MPGN.