Effect of N-acetyl-cysteine on lymphomonocyte glutathione and response to interferon treatment in C-virus chronic hepatitis.
OBJECTIVE
Much controversy exists concerning effect of N-acetyl-cysteine, a precursor of glutathione, on the response to interferon treatment in patients with C-virus chronic hepatitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of interferon therapy with and without oral N-acetyl-cysteine. We also measured glutathione concentrations in lymphomonocytes of 25 patients with chronic C-virus hepatitis before and after interferon treatment and correlated the results with treatment response.


METHODS
Glutathione was extracted from lymphomonocytes and measured with a modified high performance liquid chromatographic method in the 25 hepatitis patients and 12 healthy controls.


CONCLUSIONS
1) Hepatitis patients and controls had similar basal concentrations of lymphomonocytic glutathione; 2) neither interferon nor N-acetyl-cysteine significantly affected glutathione concentrations in patients; and 3) N-acetyl-cysteine did not affect response to interferon.
Cimino
L
L
Chair of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, University Federico II, Naples, Italy.
Belisario
M A
MA
Intrieri
M
M
D'Ascoli
B
B
Sacchetti
L
L
Salvatore
F
F
Budillon
G
G
D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016899:Interferon-beta; D005978:Glutathione; D000111:Acetylcysteine