Effect of alcohol intake on the efficacy of interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C as evaluated by multivariate logistic regression analysis.
The effect of alcohol intake on the efficacy of interferon (IFN) therapy was evaluated retrospectively in patients with chronic hepatitis C diagnosed by liver histology and positive serum hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA. Patients included 119 given IFN therapy and 11 no IFN therapy. Serum HCV-RNA was measured 6 months after discontinuation of IFN therapy in 92 treated patients, 27.2% of whom showed disappearance of serum HCV-RNA. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that this disappearance was affected by alcohol intake, the presence of its history (p < 0.05) or cumulative alcohol consumption (kg) (p < 0.01), and serum HCV-RNA levels (p < 0.001). The odds ratio associated with serum HCV-RNA still positive at 6 months was 7.018 (95% confidence interval: 1.444-34.062) and 1.004 (1.001-1.007) for the presence of alcohol intake history and the cumulative alcohol consumption, respectively. Other predictor variables-such as sex and age of patients, history of blood transfusion, HCV genotype, histological findings of the liver, and types of IFN-had no influence on the efficacy of the therapy. Cumulative alcohol consumption showed a negative correlation with serum HCV-RNA levels pretreatment, when the outcome variable was divided into two categories based on serum HCV-RNA levels: 10(6) copy/ml or less and 10(7) copy/ml or more. Alcohol intake was positively correlated with histological extent of alcoholic fibrosis, but affected neither grading nor staging of chronic viral hepatitis. We conclude that alcohol intake was a risk factor on the efficacy of IFN therapy in chronic hepatitis C patients. This effect was independent of serum HCV-RNA levels and histological findings specific for viral hepatitis in the liver.
Mochida
S
S
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Saitama Medical School, Japan.
Ohnishi
K
K
Matsuo
S
S
Kakihara
K
K
Fujiwara
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007372:Interferons / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016899:Interferon-beta; D007372:Interferons