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Steven J. Sperber, MD; William J. Doyle, PhD; Timothy P. McBride, MD; James V. Sorrentino, PhD; Donald K. Riker, PhD; Frederick G. Hayden, MD

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1992;118(9):933-936.

Abstract
• To evaluate the efficacy and otologic effects of recombinant interferon beta serine for experimental rhinovirus colds, 38 healthy adults received nasal drops of recombinant interferon beta serine, 12x10⁶ U, or placebo three times daily for 4.3 days beginning 36 hours after infection. Illness rates and severity did not differ between the groups, but the frequency of virus shedding was reduced on the fourth (37% vs 74%) and sixth (11% vs 42%) postchallenge days in recipients of recombinant interferon beta serine. Abnormal eustachian tube function in at least one ear was identified by the inflation-deflation test during 44% of observations in 13 infected recipients of recombinant interferon beta serine compared with 62% of observations in five placebo recipients. Tympanometry revealed middle-ear pressure abnormalities (<–50 or >20 mm H₂O) in at least one ear during 18% of observations in recipients of recombinant interferon beta serine compared with 38% of observations in placebo recipients. These results suggest that antiviral therapy may alter the course of middle-ear dysfunction associated with experimental colds.

(Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1992;118:933-936)

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Internal Medicine (Drs Sperber and Hayden), and Pathology (Dr Hayden), University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville; Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh (Pa) School of Medicine, (Drs Doyle and McBride); and Richardson-Vicks Research Center, Shelton, Conn (Drs Sorrentino and Riker). Dr Sperber is presently with the Infectious Diseases Section, Department of Medicine, Hackensack (NJ) Medical Center. Dr McBride is presently with the Department of Otolaryngology, Georgetown Medical Center, Washington, DC.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication May 6, 1992.

Reprint requests to Department of Medicine, Box 473, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville, VA 22908 (Dr Hayden).

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