title: Soluble CD30 serum levels before and after treatment with alpha-interferon in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: It has been suggested that soluble CD30 (sCD30) serum levels in chronic hepatitis C are correlated with the activity of the disease and with the outcome of interferon (IFN) treatment. In this study, sCD30 serum levels in 25 patients with chronic hepatitis C, before and after treatment with IFN-2alpha, were measured. A total of 20 healthy subjects were used as controls. High sCD30 levels in serum were found in 36% of patients and in 5% of controls. In patients with sCD30 levels above or within the normal range, no significant differences in age, gender, serum transaminases and histology activity index were found. In relation to IFN treatment, only responder patients had serum sCD30 higher than controls, although the difference between responders and non-responders was not significant. No changes from baseline values were observed after treatment. Although high, sCD30 serum levels in chronic hepatitis C are not correlated with the disease activity, are not affected by IFN treatment and are not predictors of response to IFN treatment.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Università di Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Cesare
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spadaro
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ajello
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ferraù
authors.forename: Nunziata
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alessi
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luigiano
authors.forename: Rossana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Melluso
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Freni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017730:Ki-1 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012995:Solubility; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D017730:Ki-1 Antigen; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000410:Alanine Transaminase