Drinking habits of subjects with hepatitis C virus-related chronic liver disease: prevalence and effect on clinical, virological and pathological aspects.
Alcohol changes the progression of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related chronic liver disease and may affect the outcome of interferon therapy. The ethanol intake of 245 patients with biopsy-proven chronic hepatitis C with or without cirrhosis, its interaction with laboratory and histological parameters common to alcohol and HCV-mediated liver damage, and its effects on therapy were evaluated. The results show that 60-70% of subjects regularly consumed alcohol (median intake >40 g/day in about 30%). Less than 50% stopped drinking after being diagnosed as having liver disease. Ethanol intake affected: fibrosis, especially in women, HCV RNA levels, which were significantly lower in abstainers than in drinkers (0.6 +/- 0.3 vs 6.9 +/- 5.9 Eq/ml x10(6); P < 0.01), and response to interferon therapy. The number of responders decreased as ethanol intake increased. There were less abstainers than drinkers among non-responders (10.7% vs 63.1% respectively; P < 0.001). Data indicate that alcohol will induce and worsen liver damage and, in subjects with chronic liver disease who continue to drink, adversely affect their response to treatment.
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Cattedra di. Gastroenterologia, II Università di Napoli, Potenza, Italy.
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D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000378:metabolism; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013695:Temperance / Q000523:psychology; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D007372:Interferons; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase