title: Dietary iron restriction improves aminotransferase levels in chronic hepatitis C patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is generally accepted that iron overload plays an important role in the pathogenesis of liver cell injury in chronic hepatitis C. The present study was undertaken to evaluate whether low-iron diet improves liver function tests in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen patients with chronic hepatitis C (13 men and 4 women, 54 +/- 14 years old) that did not respond to, or were unsuitable for interferon therapy, were enrolled in this study. All patients had been pretreated with ursodeoxycholic acid for more than 12 months before the beginning of the study. Dietary iron intake was restricted to less than 7 mg/day, and the patients were followed up for 18 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean daily iron intakes, calculated from food records, were 5.9 and 6.4 mg after 6 and 12 months, respectively. The mean serum ferritin decreased significantly from 362 ng/mL at entry to 179 ng/mL after 18 months. The serum unsaturated iron binding capacity level increased significantly from 163 micrograms/dL at entry to 203 micrograms/dL after 18 months. The serum aspartate aminotransferase decreased significantly from 62 IU/L at entry to 47 IU/L after 18 months, and serum alanine aminotransferase from 68 IU/L at entry to 53 IU/L after 18 months. Serum iron, hepatitis C virus-RNA titer and platelet count remained unchanged throughout the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that iron-restricted diet may be an important therapeutic modality for improving liver injury in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
authors: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Mie University School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu City, Mie 514-8507, Japan. motoh@clin.medic.mie-u.ac.jp
authors: Motoh
authors: M
authors: Iwasa
authors: Masahiko
authors: M
authors: Kaito
authors: Jiro
authors: J
authors: Ikoma
authors: Yoshinao
authors: Y
authors: Kobayashi
authors: Yuji
authors: Y
authors: Tanaka
authors: Kunihiro
authors: K
authors: Higuchi
authors: Keisuke
authors: K
authors: Takeuchi
authors: Kazuko
authors: K
authors: Iwata
authors: Shozo
authors: S
authors: Watanabe
authors: Yukihiko
authors: Y
authors: Adachi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood*; D014580:Ursodeoxycholic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D019266:Iron, Dietary; D014580:Ursodeoxycholic Acid; D005293:Ferritins; D000637:Transaminases