[Cytokine spectrum in patients with chronic hepatitis C in the treatment with interferon-alpha drugs].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the trend in content of IL-1, 2, 4, 6, TNF-alpha, interferon-alpha (Inf-alpha) and gamma (Inf-g) in the serum of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in the course of treatment with Inf-alpha.


METHODS
The study included 30 patients with CHC (20 males and 10 females) and 25 healthy controls. Markers of CHC were detected with enzyme immunoassay, RNA--with polymerase chain reaction. Index of histological activity was calculated for 20 patients. Immune response mediators were determined with enzyme immunoassay before therapy with intron A in a dose 3000000 U 3 times a week and after 12 weeks of such treatment.


RESULTS
Before the treatment absolute levels of inflammation mediators were high, after 3 months of treatment RNA of VHC was absent in 16 (55%) of the patients, 18 (60%) had low activity of transaminases. In 6 months VHC-RNA was not detected in 8 (28%) patients. Patients with a persistent positive effect had Ifn-g significantly higher than in unstable effect. IL-4 showed an opposite trend.


CONCLUSIONS
High concentrations of IL-4 and low of Ifn-g in the serum of CHC patients before If treatment determined high activity of Th-2 system mediators, active replication of HCV and worse response to therapy.
Sobchak
D M
DM
Korochkina
O V
OV
Monakova
E A
EA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000276:immunology*; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma