Serum total bile acid level as a sensitive indicator of hepatic histological improvement in chronic hepatitis C patients responding to interferon treatment.
METHODS
Serum total bile acid (TBA) levels are used clinically as a sensitive and reliable index of hepatobiliary diseases. In the present study, to assess the clinical usefulness of determining TBA in interferon (IFN)-treated patients, changes in liver function test values, including TBA and liver histology, were examined in 36 chronic hepatitis C patients for 3 years after a sustained response to IFN treatment.


RESULTS
Alanine aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase values significantly decreased during the period of IFN treatment compared to the same measures before IFN treatment. Albumin, cholinesterase, total cholesterol and platelet count values temporarily decreased during IFN treatment, then increased significantly and reached a plateau 6-12 months after the end of IFN treatment. The zinc sulphate turbidity test and TBA values began to decrease during IFN treatment and continued to decrease during the 3-year follow-up period. The histological activity index of the liver (Knodell's score) significantly decreased, whereas the staging score was unchanged 1 year after the end of IFN treatment. In patients who had a TBA value > 10 micromol/L before IFN treatment, a significant correlation was observed between the decrease of TBA and liver histology grading score.


CONCLUSIONS
A decrease in serum TBA level reflected histological improvement in the liver more precisely than did changes in the other liver function test values following IFN therapy.
Shima
T
T
Department of Internal Medicine, Saiseikai Suita Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
Tada
H
H
Morimoto
M
M
Nakagawa
Y
Y
Obata
H
H
Sasaki
T
T
Park
H
H
Nakajo
S
S
Nakashima
T
T
Okanoue
T
T
Kashima
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000097:blood*; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins