Liverbiopsy because of Hbs Ag positive hepatitis revealing a non-suspected hepatic schistosomiasis. Implication for future therapy with recombinant alpha interferon?

A patient with HbsAG positive chronic persistent hepatitis is demonstrated in whom a liver biopsy specimen showed a nonsuspected asymptomatic infection with Schistosoma mansoni. Further investigations showed no signs of liver fibrosis or portal hypertension. Rectal biopsy specimens also showed Schistosoma mansoni. The combination of Schistosomiasis and hepatitis is well known in the literature, the effect of recombinant interferon therapy in these cases, however, is not known. Attention is drawn to this combination.