title: Tomato-based functional food as interferon adjuvant in HCV eradication therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors conducted a study to verify whether supplementation with an antioxidant-rich tomato-based functional food reduces anemia during pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Oxidative stress plays a major role in the physiopathology of hemolytic anemia during ribavirin therapy. The efficacy of antioxidant supplementation with vitamins C and E as pure compounds, is still controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  A functional food with a high content of natural antioxidants and with high carotenoid bioavailability was developed. The authors enrolled 92 patients with chronic hepatitis C, treated with standard combination therapy. Forty-six of them received a daily dose (100 g) of functional food (group 1), and 46 did not (group 2). The effect of antioxidant activity was assessed comparing compliance with the full dose of ribavirin and hemoglobin levels during the first 3 months of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 8.7% of patients in group 1 had to reduce their daily ribavirin dose, whereas ribavirin reduction was necessary for 30.4% of patients in group 2 (P = 0.09). Hemoglobin levels showed significant differences at 15, 30, and 90 days during the observation time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results demonstrated that the authors' functional food reduces the severity of ribavirin-related anemia and improves the tolerance to the full dose of ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, University of Naples, Federico II, Italy. filomena.morisco@unina.it
authors.forename: Filomena
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Morisco
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vitaglione
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stingo
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scarpati
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ascione
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marmo
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fogliano
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Caporaso
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001682:Biological Availability; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D005419:Flavonoids; D014810:Vitamin E; D002338:Carotenoids; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons