The first double masked placebo controlled trial of interferon alfa-2a for the treatment of overt choroidal neovascular membranes is presented. A total of 43 consecutive patients were randomised to double masked treatment with either interferon alfa-2a, 3 million IU subcutaneously three times a week or matching placebo, for a period of 8 weeks. End of study changes from baseline in distance and...

objective sub acute sclerosing pan encephalitis (sspe), a progressive neurological disorder characterized by inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), is the result of an inappropriate immune response to the measles virus or measles vaccination. sspe usually develops 2 to 10 years after the original viral attack. some of the major signs and symptoms are mental deterioration, jerky movements, an...

BACKGROUND To estimate, from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system, the economic outcomes of five different first-line strategies among patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). METHODS AND FINDINGS A decision-analytic model was developed to simulate the lifetime disease course associated with renal cell carcinoma. The health and economic outcomes of five first-line str...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of systemic interferon alfa treatment in patients with Adamantiades-Behçet disease. DATA SOURCES Reports and abstracts published in 1986 through 1997 in all languages were identified by the MEDLINE database, the Reference Index Related to Behcet's Disease, the Behçet disease conference proceedings, and abstract booklets. The indexing terms used Be...

To assess the safety and possible efficacy of recombinant human interferon alfa-2b in preventing the development of chronic hepatitis, 24 adults (eight men, 16 women) with acute non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis were recruited to a pilot study. Half of the cases were parenterally transmitted and half were community acquired. Twelve patients received 3 million units (MU) interferon three times weekl...

BACKGROUND In metastatic renal cell carcinoma combinations of interferon alfa-2a, interleukin-2, and fluorouracil produce higher response rates and longer progression-free survival than do single agents. We aimed to compare overall survival in patients receiving combination treatment or interferon alfa-2a. METHODS RE04/30012 was an open-label randomised trial undertaken in 50 centres across e...

Purpose: Somatostatin analogs and interferon alfa control hormone-active/functional neuroendocrine gastroenteropancreatic tumors. In addition to hormonal control, variable degrees of antiproliferative effects for both agents have been reported. Until now, however, no prospective, randomized studies in therapy-naive patients have compared somatostatin analogs or interferon alfa alone with a comb...

CONTEXT Inflammatory cytokines or cytokine inducers can alter basal ganglia activity, including reducing responsiveness to rewarding stimuli that may be mediated by cytokine effects on dopamine function. OBJECTIVES To determine whether long-term administration of the inflammatory cytokine interferon alfa reduces the basal ganglia response to reward and whether such changes are associated with...

1 Dodecanissou Street, Athens 12351, Greece. Abstract To assess the safety and possible efficacy of recombinant human interferon alfa-2b in preventing the development of chronic hepatitis, 24 adults (eight men, 16 women) with acute non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis were recruited to a pilot study. Half of the cases were parenterally transmitted and half were community acquired. Twelve patients rece...

Cure of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is achievable without interferon alfa through the use of new direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs. In this era of interferon alfa-sparing therapy, however, interferon alfa sensitivity still matters, even as it turns out, if interferon alfa is not used. Inclusion of ribavirin in the treatment regimen remains a factor in treatment response, as does duratio...