title: Zinc supplementation enhances the response to interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: We evaluated the synergistic effect of zinc supplementation on the response to interferon (IFN) therapy in patients with intractable chronic hepatitis C in a pilot study using natural IFN-alpha with or without zinc. No clinical differences were observed between patients treated with IFN alone (n=40) and IFN with polaprezinc (IFN + Zn, n=35). All patients were positive for HCV genotype Ib and had more than 105 copies of the virus/mL serum. Ten million units of natural IFN-alpha was administered daily for 4 weeks followed by the same dose every other day for 20 weeks. In the IFN + Zn group, patients received an additional dose of 150 mg/day polaprezinc orally throughout the 24-week IFN course. No additional side-effects of polaprezinc were noted but four out of 40 IFN alone treatment and three out of 35 IFN + Zn group withdrew because of side-effects. Complete response (CR) was defined as negative HCV RNA in the serum on PCR and normal aminotransferase level 6 months after therapy. Incomplete response (IR) was normal liver enzyme and positive serum HCV RNA. Both of them were evaluated at the 6 months after the completion of the treatment. Patients with higher levels of serum HCV (more than 5 x 105 copies/mL) had little response in both treatment groups. Patients with moderate amount of HCV (105 to 4.99 x 105/mL) showed high response rates in combination group (CR: 11/27, 40.7%; CR + IR 15/27, 64.3%), better than IFN alone (CR: 2/15, 18.2%; CR + IR: 2/15, 18.2%). Serum zinc levels were higher in patients with IFN + Zn group than in the IFN group. Our results indicate that zinc supplementation enhances the response to interferon therapy in patients with intractable chronic hepatitis C.
authors.affiliation: The First Department of Internal Medicine, Gunma University School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan. htakagi@med.gunma-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagamine
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Otsuka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kakizaki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Takezawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002336:Carnosine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load; D015032:Zinc / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017967:Zinc Compounds
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D017967:Zinc Compounds; C061957:polaprezinc; D002336:Carnosine; D007372:Interferons; D015032:Zinc