title: alpha-Interferon in the treatment of chronic viral hepatitis: effects on fibrogenesis serum markers.
abstract: Forty patients with chronic viral hepatitis or active cirrhosis (33 anti-HCV positive) entered a recombinant human alpha 2A interferon randomized trial. Twenty-one subjects were treated with 6 million units (MU) three times per week for 6 months. Nineteen were not treated. Six months later in 12 patients of the treated group (60% of the evaluable 20) with normalized serum aminotransferases levels (responders), fibrogenesis serum markers (NPIIIP and laminin) were significantly lower than baseline. In the untreated patients and in non-responders NPIIIP and laminin were unchanged. Semi quantitative histological evaluation (allotting scores for inflammation, necrosis and fibrosis) confirmed a significant improvement of necro-inflammation in the responders. These data suggest that alpha-IFN treatment may decrease stimuli for fibrogenesis by reducing liver inflammation and necrosis, thus preventing evolution to cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica Medica, dell'Università di Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Capra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casaril
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Gabrielli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tognella
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rizzi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dolci
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Colombari
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mezzelani
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Corrocher
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Sandre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007797:Laminin / Q000097:blood*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D011347:Procollagen / Q000097:blood*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007797:Laminin; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011347:Procollagen; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C041876:procollagen Type III-N-terminal peptide