Long-term monitoring of platelet count, as a non-invasive marker of hepatic fibrosis progression and/or regression in patients with chronic hepatitis C after interferon therapy.
BACKGROUND
Platelet count has been shown to correlate with the hepatic fibrosis stage in chronic hepatitis C (CHC). The aim of the present study was to assess hepatic fibrosis progression or regression of CHC patients by long-term monitoring of the platelet count.


METHODS
A total of 429 interferon (IFN)-treated CHC patients were studied. Follow-up data on the platelet count were collected every 6 months after IFN therapy. The IFN response was defined as follows: complete responders (CR, n = 121) demonstrating persistent clearance of serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA; biochemical responders (BR, n = 94) demonstrating alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization for >/=6 months without eradication of HCV-RNA; and non-responder (NR, n = 214) demonstrating all other patterns.


RESULTS
In comparison with the baseline level, mean platelet count increased in the CR group from 0.5 years after IFN therapy (for each point, P < 0.01), but significantly decreased in the NR group from 1 year after IFN therapy (for each point, P < 0.01). In the BR group, an increase in mean platelet count was observed from 0.5 to 3.5 years following IFN therapy (for each point, P < 0.01), followed by a gradual decrease.


CONCLUSIONS
An increase from baseline values in platelet count was observed, regardless of the presence of HCV-RNA, in both the CR and BR groups, suggesting the importance of ALT normalization in preventing hepatic fibrosis progression in IFN-treated CHC patients.
Taniguchi
Hideaki
H
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Okayama, Japan. hideaki@kb3.so-net.ne.jp
Iwasaki
Yoshiaki
Y
Fujiwara
Akiko
A
Sakaguchi
Kohsaku
K
Moriya
Akio
A
Yu
Piao Cheng
PC
Takaki
Akinobu
A
Fujioka
Shin-Ichi
S
Shimomura
Hiroyuki
H
Shiratori
Yasushi
Y
D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012709:Serum Albumin; D007372:Interferons; D002784:Cholesterol; D001663:Bilirubin