| [ Summary ] |
Seventy patients with biopsy proven chronic hepatitis-C, who were not indicated or resistant to interferon (IFN) therapy were treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, such as stronger-neominophagen-C (SNMC), ursodeoxy cholic acid (UDCA), sho-saiko-to, and juzentaiho-to, including multi-agent therapy aiming at the alleviation of serum ALT (GPT) levels below 80IU. We succeeded maintaining an annual average of serum ALT (GPT) levels below 80IU in 57% of patients. In about half(47.5%) of the successful cases, it was achieved by the multi-agent therapies, such as SNMC + UDCA, UDCA + sho-saiko-to and SNMC + UDCA + sho-saiko-to. The incidence of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was markedly reduced, to about 0.7% per year, and the progression rate to liver cirrhosis (LC) also decreased in our patients. Thus, the multi agent therapy with anti-inflammatory drugs used was demonstrated to be a very effective method in preventing HCC development and progression to LC in patients with chronic hepatitis-C, who were not indicated or resistant to IFN therapy. |