Prevention of severe hepatic injury by interferon-α in chronic active hepatitis lacking HBeAg (mutant strain) in a patient with malignant lymphoma

Multidrug chemotherapy with concomitant interferon (IFN)-α was performed in a patient with chronic hepatitis lacking the hepatitis Be antigen and malignant lymphoma (ML). Levels of trans-aminases and DNA polymerase (DNA-P) values increased after the fifth course of chemotherapy. Therapy with IFN-α for 9 weeks induced a remission in liver disease and complete remission of ML was obtained with subsequent chemotherapy. It was possible to prevent severe liver damage by administering IFN immediately after the elevation of DNA-P. Early introduction of IFN may be effective in the prevention of fulminant hepatic failure from hepatitis from a precore mutant after chemotherapy.