Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Due to the need for new principles for the treatment of Crohn's disease and due to the documented immunomodulatory effects of interferon alpha, the tolerability and effect(s) of interferon alpha-2b (Introna) in active Crohn's disease were examined in a pilot study.
METHODS: Five patients with active Crohn's disease (activity index (CDAI) scores of 235-517), were treated with interferon alpha-2b for 12 weeks.
RESULTS: All patients tolerated the treatment, but developed influenza-like symptoms, which were fully controlled by paracetamol. Two patients obtained partial remission with a decline in activity index scores of 39% and 50%. The activity of 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase, which together with two other interferon-induced proteins, neopterin and beta 2-microglobulin were increased during treatment, indicated clearly an in vivo uptake of interferon. Sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, orosomucoid, albumin, specific inflammatory markers: soluble interleukin-2 alpha-receptors (sIL-2R) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) did not show any changes before or after treatment.
CONCLUSION: Future multicentre investigations are required to evaluate the clinical effect of interferon alpha-2b treatment in active Crohn's disease.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Pages (from-to) | 75-9 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| ISSN | 0269-2813 |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 1995 |
Keywords
- 2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase/blood
- Acetaminophen/administration & dosage
- Adult
- Biopterin/analogs & derivatives
- Blood Proteins/metabolism
- Crohn Disease/drug therapy
- Drug Evaluation
- Female
- Humans
- Influenza, Human/chemically induced
- Interferon alpha-2
- Interferon-alpha/adverse effects
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Neopterin
- Pilot Projects
- Recombinant Proteins
- beta 2-Microglobulin/metabolism