Comparative Study for Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus by Using lnterferone Alpha and Honey Bee Stings

Abstract

This study was done to determine the effect of different doses of interferon therapy (3 and 5 MU 3 times per week for 6 month) as well as the effect of honey bee stings in treatment of patients diagnosed as post HCV chronic hepatitis. The patients were classified into three groups.

Group (1) "150 patients" were subdivided to; group (1)-A '120 patients treated by interferon 3 MU 3 times per week for 6 month and group (1)-B '30 patients ' treated by interferon 5 MU 3 times per week for 6 month. Group (2) "50 patients " treated by honey bee stings 3 setting per week for 6 month . Group (3) including 50 patients " control group" were treated by placebo . The

results of this study revealed that, in group (1)-A , 40 out of 120 patients ( 33.33 %) showed good response, 29 out of 120 patients (24.24 %) showed partial response, and the remaining 51 patients (42.5 %) showed no improvement. In comparison to group (1)-B , 8 out of 30 patients (26.66 %) showed good response, 5 out of 30 patients ( 6.7%) showed partial response, and the remaining 17 patients (56.7 % ) showed no improvement. Thus sustained response to imerferon therapy in group (I )-A was detected in 25 out of 120 patients (20.83 %), and in group (1)-B was detected in 4 out of 30 patients (13.3 %) , and therefore the overall sustained response in group (1) was detected