Relationships between quantitative electroencephalographic alterations and the severity of hepatitis C based on liver biopsy in interferon-alpha treated patients.
OBJECTIVE
We have observed alterations of quantitative (q)-EEG findings occurring in interferon (IFN)-alpha treated chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) patients, and found patient's age to be one factor influencing such EEG alterations. In the present study we evaluated the correlation between q-EEG alterations during IFN-alpha treatment and the severity of hepatitis based on liver biopsies.


METHODS
A total of 102 CH-C patients underwent blind, prospective and serial q-EEG examinations. The IFN-alpha was administered under the same therapeutic regimen to all patients. Serial EEGs were obtained before, at 2 and 4 weeks, and at 2-3 days after the conclusion of treatment. The absolute powers of each frequency band in different periods were determined by q-EEG. Staging (of fibrosis) and grading (of inflammatory cell infiltration) were scaled according to Desmet's classification. We evaluated the relationship between q-EEG and scales of staging or grading.


RESULTS
Age distributions did not differ significantly among stages or grades. As the stage or grade increased, the alterations of EEG during IFN-alpha treatment became more pronounced, and significant (repeated-measures analysis of variances; both, p<0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Alterations of the EEG occurring during IFN-alpha treatment became pronounced with more severe pathological findings for CH-C. Alterations in the EEGs during IFN-alpha treatment should be carefully monitored in CH-C patients with severe pathological findings.
Kamei
Satoshi
S
Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Nihon University Itabashi Hospital, Tokyo. skamei@med.nihon-u.ac.jp
Morita
Akihiko
A
Tanaka
Naohide
N
Matsuura
Masato
M
Moriyama
Mitsuhiko
M
Kojima
Takuya
T
Arakawa
Yasuyuki
Y
Matsukawa
Yoshihiro
Y
Mizutani
Tomohiko
T
Sakai
Teiichiro
T
Oga
Kentaro
K
Ohkubo
Hitoshi
H
Matsumura
Hiroshi
H
Hirayanagi
Kaname
K
D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy; D004569:Electroencephalography; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016037:Single-Blind Method
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha