Human interferon alfa therapy and hepatitis B virus markers in the serum of patients with chronic course of illness.

Dynamics of serum levels of HBsAg, HBeAg and anti HBc were followed during human interferon alpha (Hu IFN alpha) therapy of patients with chronic active or chronic persistent hepatitis B. More or less expressed oscillations of HBsAg serum levels seen in two out of our six treated patients seemed to occur due to IFN effect. Little and seldom changes were observed in HBeAg and anti HBc serum levels. The profiles of HBsAg serum levels of interferon-treated patients compared with the profiles of "conventionally" treated patients disclosed occurrence of spontaneous or perhaps interferon-induced cyclic elevations and depressions of HBsAg blood levels. The possible significance of this phenomenon is discussed.