title: Serum and urinary neopterin levels in patients with chronic active hepatitis B treated with interferon.
abstract: Serum and urinary neopterin levels and serum 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase and DNA polymerase activities were measured in 14 patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B treated with interferon. Treatment with interferon brought about a threefold increase over basal levels in serum and urinary neopterin levels one week after the start of treatment. Both neopterin levels remained significantly elevated during treatment but rapidly returned to basal levels after the completion of treatment. Serum and urinary neopterin levels changed with a pattern similar to that of serum 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase activity and with a mirror image to serum DNA polymerase activity. It is indicated that measurement of serum and urinary neopterin can be used as a marker for cell-mediated immunity during interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis B, but can not be used to predict the short-term clinical effects of interferon treatment as in the case of serum 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Tottori University School of Medicine, Yonago, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Daito
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suou
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
mesh_terms: D015088:2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase / Q000097:blood; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D001708:Biopterins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy* / Q000652:urine; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019798:Neopterin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D001708:Biopterins; D019798:Neopterin; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D015088:2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase