title: Interferon-gamma brings additive anti-viral environment when combined with interferon-alpha in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: T-cell hyporesponsiveness may lead to chronicity of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We evaluated whether interferon (IFN)-gamma injection can bring a Th1-dominant environment to patients with chronic hepatitis C. Seventeen patients with genotype 1b received natural IFN-alpha 5MU daily for the first 2 weeks and three times a week for the next 22 weeks followed by natural IFN-gamma 1 MU daily for 2 weeks. In 4 of 17 patients (23.5%), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was normalized and 3 of these 4 patients (75.0%) cleared HCV RNA. beta2 microglobulin (BMG), neopterin and soluble (s) Fas increased with IFN-alpha and increased more with IFN-gamma. Serum interleukin (IL)-12, CD4 and CD8 remained unchanged with IFN-alpha but increased after IFN-alpha was replaced by IFN-gamma. IL-10 was not changed either with IFN-alpha or gamma. Productions of IL-2, IFN-gamma and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha by peripheral blood mononuclear cells did not change by IFN-alpha therapy, however, they were enhanced at the end of IFN-gamma therapy. Productions of IL-2 and 4 were unaffected. These results show that some immune parameters become Th1-dominant by additional IFN-gamma in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Combination of these two IFNs should be explored.
authors.affiliation: The Second Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahimachi, Kurume, 830-0011, Fukuoka, Japan
authors.forename: Ryukichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumashiro
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ide
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murashima
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Teruko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hino
authors.forename: Yasuyo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Miyajima
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.forename: Eisuke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Kyuichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanikawa
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sata