Fibronectin levels in chronic viral hepatitis and response of this protein to interferon therapy.
OBJECTIVE
In this study, the plasma fibronectin levels in the cases of chronic hepatitis B and C infection and this protein's response to the interferon therapy were examined.


METHODS
Totally, 38 patients with chronic hepatitis, 21 of them being hepatitis B, 17 of them being hepatitis C; and 24 healthy blood donors, as the control group, took part in this study. The quantitative determinations of fibronectin in plasma samples were performed with the Bohring Nephelometer BN 100 (N Antiserum to Human Fibronectin, code no OUND, Dade Behring Marburg GmbH, Marburg Germany).


RESULTS
It was observed that the fibronectin plasma levels of the control group were significantly higher than those of the patient group before the therapy (p=0.043). After the interferon therapy of six months, the difference between the fibronectin levels of 16 examined patients before and after the treatment was found to be significant (p=0.001). A negative correlation was detected between the fibronectin levels before the therapy and the inflammatory grade as far as the histopathology of the illness was concerned (r=-0.49), which is a statically significant value (p=0.002). The correlation between the levels of fibronectin and the stage of the fibrosis was found to be insignificant statistically (p=0.225). When comparing the levels before and after the therapy, as far as ALT and AST values were concerned, it was observed that both parameters fell significantly after the therapy (p=0.002). However, no correlation was observed between the fibronectin levels and ALT, AST before and after the therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Fibronectin can be a useful marker for showing the hepatic inflammation and damage in the cases of chronic hepatitis, and can also be used in the evaluation of the response to the interferon therapy like other biochemical parameters (ALT, prothrombin activity etc.).
Kandemir
Ozlem
O
Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease, Mersin University, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin, Turkey. kandemirege@hotmail.com
Polat
Gürbüz
G
Sahin
Elif
E
Bagdatoglu
Ozden
O
Camdeviren
Handan
H
Kaya
Ali
A
D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D005353:Fibronectins; D007372:Interferons