Combination therapy with interferon-alpha 2b and ribavirin for the treatment of relapse patients and non-responders with chronic HCV infection.

Background: Treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C after failure of an interferon monotherapy remains controversial. While relapse patients have a sustained response after a combination therapy with interferon-alpha 2b 3 x 3 MU/week plus ribavirin 1,000/1,200 mg daily for 24 weeks in up to 49%, the standard therapy for initial non-responders remains to be determined.

Methods: We therefore conducted a large multicenter trial to compare efficacy and safety of a combined interferon/ribavirin therapy in 327 non-responders and 181 relapse patients with chronic HCV infection outside of highly specialized institutions.

Treatment of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder with the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab alone in an adult after liver transplantation: a new drug in therapy of patients with posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder after solid organ transplantation?

Background: Posttransplant lymphoproliferative (PT-LPD) disorder is a life-threatening complication with an incidence of 1-10%. Uniform treatment, so far, does not exist.

Methods: In December 1996, 5 months after a liver transplant, a 43-year-old patient developed a PT-LPD with para-aortal lymphomas and splenomegaly.

A German drug-monitoring study in general practice patients receiving cisapride for functional dyspepsia.

An open prospective drug monitoring study was undertaken to assess the efficacy and tolerability of 5 mg cisapride three times daily in 37,925 general practice patients with functional dyspepsia. Short-term (mean, 4 weeks) cisapride treatment was associated with a significant reduction in overall dyspeptic symptom scores and improvements in scores of all eight individual dyspeptic symptoms (epigastric discomfort, fullness, nausea, bloating, heartburn, acid regurgitation, loss of appetite, and vomiting). Physician's and patient's subjective global evaluations of antidyspeptic efficacy were good or very good in 80% to 90% of cases.

Morphology of non A-non B hepatitis (HNANB). A study of 104 cases.

A series of 104 liver biopsies from patients with clinical HNANB were classified under code into established histologic groups. Activity and basic features were semiquantitatively assessed using a score system. In 23/104 cases non viral lesions were diagnosed.