Effect of single-dose administration of recombinant interferon-alpha2b on gastric myoelectrical activity in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Background: Upper abdominal complaints during interferon therapy may result from impaired gastric motility and/or evacuatory function. We examined the effect of acute administration of interferon on gastric myoelectrical activity (GMA) with the use of surface electrogastrography.

Methods: The study population comprised 25 patients with chronic hepatitis C. All of them were naive to interferon. On 2 days, after a 25-min basal GMA registration, in group A (5 men, 7 women, aged 44.3 +/- 2.8 years) placebo or 5 million i.u. recombinant interferon alpha-2b (IFNA) was administered s.c. and the GMA was recorded in the interdigestive state for two periods (2 h and 4 h), separated by a 15-min break. In group B (7 men, 6 women, aged 44.7 +/- 3.9 years) placebo or 5 million i.u. IFNA was injected s.c. after the ingestion of a semiliquid test meal of 364 kcal. Subsequently, the postprandial GMA was recorded for two periods (2 h and 4 h), separated by a 15-min break.

Results: A typical flu-like syndrome was observed in 91.7% of patients in group A, and in 92.3% of patients in group B, thus providing evidence of the pharmacodynamic efficiency of the IFNA administration. In the fasted state, IFNA brought about a negligible increase in the rhythmicity and power of the gastric slow waves. IFNA did not elicit any statistically significant effect on gastric slow-wave activity postprandially.

Conclusions: Acute administration of interferon does not involve any deterioration of GMA that could be linked to the previously reported upper abdominal symptoms in patients undergoing treatment with this drug.