title: Serum immunoglobulins in patients with chronic hepatitis C: a surrogate marker of disease severity and treatment outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Moderate polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia is a common finding in chronic viral liver disease; however, its clinical significance has not been completely elucidated. We attempted to determine whether serum immunoglobulin levels were correlated with the disease severity and the treatment outcome in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a total of 102 patients with chronic hepatitis C, we performed serum tests on immunoglobulins and determined the histology activity index (HAI) score by liver biopsy. In 97 patients, immunoglobulin levels were followed prior to and 6 months after interferon (IFN) therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum gamma (y)-globulin and immunoglobulin (IgG) were well correlated with HAI score (both; p < 0.0001), grading score (both; p < 0.01), and staging score (both; p < 0.0001). Among the 97 patients who received 6 months of IFN monotherapy, 31, 29, and 37 patients were complete, transient and non-responders, respectively. In the three subgroups, a significant difference was found in histological HAI, grading, and staging scores (p < 0.01, p < 0.05 and p < 0.0001, respectively), and in serum levels of gamma-globulin and IgG (both; p < 0.0001). Following IFN treatment, serum gamma-globulin and IgG were significantly decreased in the complete responders (both; p < 0.0001). Furthermore, serum levels of gamma-globulin and IgG of 1.5 g/dL were useful for predicting the treatment outcome of IFN monotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The measurement of serum gamma-globulin and IgG is a valuable non-invasive tool for assessing the disease severity and treatment outcome in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Saiseikai Gotsu General Hospital, Shimane, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Chisato
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horie
authors.forename: Kensho
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yorozu
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Yasuyoshi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Kensuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Umeki
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood*; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D005719:gamma-Globulins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D005719:gamma-Globulins