D. Background on HDV Treatment:The only
treatment that has been used until today for chronic delta hepatitis
is interferon therapy. Ribavarin has also been used in conjunction
with interferon in other chronic hepatitis infections.
Gunsar, F et al. 2005. Two-year interferon therapy with or without
ribavirin in chronic delta hepatitis. Antiviral Therapy. 10(6): 721-6.
Gunsar et al examined the ideal duration and dose of interferon that
would
produce long-term beneficial outcome, and whether simultaneous
administration of ribavarin would improve the outcome of the patient with
chronic HDV. They found improvement in about 20% of subjects
after
a
two-year course of interferon. Subjects with liver disease before
starting
therapy did not respond, and ribavarin use did not seem to help the
outcome.