Endogenous interferon-alpha concentration and outcome of interferon treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
To verify its value with regard to the outcome of therapy in chronic hepatitis C, serum interferon-alpha (IFN) was measured by ELISA in 70 patients (43 male, 27 female) with chronic hepatitis C, treated with IFN 9 MU/week subcutaneously for up to one year. Serum IFN was detectable in 49/70 patients, 16 of whom had IFN values >125 pg/ml. Only 1/22 patients who maintained a sustained response six months after the end of treatment had pretreatment serum IFN > 125 pg/ml, in comparison to 15/48 patients who did not respond or who relapsed (chi2 6.1, P < 0.02). At multivariate analysis the predictive value of serum IFN was independent of age, sex, presence of cirrhosis, infection by genotype 1b (improvement chi2 7.1, P < 0.01). In patients with chronic hepatitis C, measurement of serum IFN at baseline might be useful for the selection of patients with higher probability of long-term response.
Pirisi
M
M
Department of Clinical and Experimental Pathology and Medicine, University of Udine, Italy.
Fabris
C
C
Toniutto
P
P
Falleti
E
E
Tisminetzky
S G
SG
Gerotto
M
M
Soardo
G
G
Vitulli
D
D
Del Forno
M
M
Baralle
F
F
Bartoli
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins