Successful antiviral therapy determines a significant decrease in squamous cell carcinoma antigen-associated (SCCA) variants' serum levels in anti-HCV positive cirrhotic patients.
Aberrant squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) expression is an early event in hepatocarcinogenesis, and increasing serum levels of SCCA variants IgM immune complexes (SCCA-IgM IC) have been found in cirrhotic patients developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We longitudinally evaluated a cohort of cirrhotic patients with hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) who underwent pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin treatment. SCCA-IgM IC levels were assessed in the sera of 33 cirrhotic patients with HCV (21 males, median age 57 years) before, at the end and at 6-month and 1-year follow-up after treatment with PEG-IFN and ribavirin. SCCA-IgM IC serum levels (arbitrary units/mL, AU/mL) were evaluated according to treatment outcome: sustained virological response (SVR) vs nonresponse (NR). Overall, 15 patients obtained a SVR to antiviral therapy (45%). There was no significant difference in baseline SCCA-IgM IC serum levels between SVR and NR patients. When compared to baseline (451.2 AU/mL), SVR patients showed a significant decrease in median SCCA-IgM IC serum levels at the end of treatment (186.8 AU/mL, P = 0.013) and at both 6-month (96.8 AU/mL, P < 0.001) and 1-year follow-up (52.4 AU/mL, P < 0.001), while no significant modification was observed in NR patients. In patients with HCV-related liver cirrhosis, successful antiviral therapy is associated with a dramatic and significant decrease in SCCA-IC serum levels. Because of the pathophysiological correlation between SCCA and liver carcinogenesis, it is hypothesized that in patients with liver cirrhosis, SVR may be accompanied by a decreased proliferative stimulation.
Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genova, Genova, Italy. egiannini@unige.it
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Giannini
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Basso
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Bazzica
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Contini
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Marenco
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Savarino
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Picciotto
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000254:growth & development*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015843:Serpins / Q000097:blood*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015843:Serpins; C051072:squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a