Combined therapy with alpha-interferon and ribavirine is one of the possible ways how to impro- ve the unsatisfactory results of monotherapy with interferon in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The authors present the results of a multicentre study which compares the initial therapeutic results in 110 patients who had standard treatment (3MU interferon 3× per week for a period of 6 – 12 months) and 58 patients treated for 12 months by combined therapy (interferon 3MU 3× per week and ribavirine 1000 –1200 mg per day). Normal levels of ALT serum activity were achieved at the time of termination of treatment in 30 % of the patients treated with interferon only and in 70 % patients treated with the combination with ribavirine. At that time negative serum levels of HV RNA were attained in 30 % patients treated by monotherapy and in 49 % who had combined treatment. Subjective tolerance was comparable in the two methods. Haemolytic anaemia which is associated with ribavirine treatment could be controlled by temporary or permanent reduction of the daiy ribavirine dose.

        Key words: chronic viral hepatitis – ribavirine – alpha-interferon