title: Serum procalcitonin levels in chronic hepatitis C patients under pegylated interferon-alpha plus ribavirin treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the alterations of serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C during pegylated interferon-alpha (PEG-IFNa) plus ribavirin (RIB) treatment and to correlate them with clinical and virological outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two consecutive patients (29 males, age=41.2+/-14.7 years) with chronic HCV-related liver disease (six cirrhotics) were evaluated for PCT levels at baseline and during the treatment course (at week 12, 24, 48 and 72) with PEG-IFNa plus RIB. Sustained virological response (SVR) was confirmed by undetectable serum HCV-RNA at the end of treatment and again 6 months after completion of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two patients exhibited culture-proved bacterial infections during the treatment course. Thirty-six patients (69.2%) exhibit SVR and 16 (30.8%) were non-responders. Serum PCT levels remained within normal limits (0.1-0.5 ng/mL) in all treated patients throughout the follow-up period except those two who exhibited bacterial infections during the treatment course. Virological responders exhibited significant decline of serum PCT levels over time compared to non-responders (p<0.001), even when adjusted for multiple baseline parameters (p=0.037).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum PCT levels decline in chronic hepatitis C patients during PEG-IFNa plus RIB treatment, especially in the sustained virological responder group, while they elevate only when bacterial infections complicate the treatment course.
authors.forename: Ioannis S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Elefsiniotis
authors.forename: Aikaterini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrocheilou
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Scarmeas
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ketikoglou
authors.forename: Konstantinos D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Pantazis
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toutouza
authors.forename: Epameinondas V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Tsianos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; D002116:Calcitonin; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a