Successful antiviral therapy is associated with a decrease of serum prohepcidin in chronic hepatitis C.
OBJECTIVE
To assess serum concentrations of prohepcidin in chronic hepatitis C individuals and evaluate their associations with disease activity and efficacy of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN)/ribavirin (RBV) therapy.


METHODS
Prohepcidin was measured in sera of 53 chronic hepatitis C patients. Concentrations of prohepcidin and other iron metabolism markers were analyzed at 9 time points before, during and after the end of antiviral therapy.


RESULTS
In hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1-infected individuals, a gradual decrease of prohepcidin during antiviral therapy was observed in responders (88.8 +/- 14.7 ng/mL before therapy vs 60.6 +/- 0.3 ng/mL in the 48th wk, P = 0.04). In contrast, no decrease was observed in non-responders. A similar association was observed in HCV genotype 3a individuals, with a statistically significant decline in serum prohepcidin only in the responder group (99.5 +/- 5.2 ng/mL at baseline vs 72.7 +/- 6.1 ng/mL in the 24th wk, P = 0.01). Moreover, HCV-RNA at week 12 of therapy was positively correlated with baseline (R = 0.63, P < 0.005) and week 12 (R = 0.60, P = 0.01) serum prohepcidin concentrations in HCV genotype 1 infection.


CONCLUSIONS
Successful PEG-IFN/RBV therapy results in a decline of serum prohepcidin concentration in chronic hepatitis C, which may suggest a direct effect of HCV on iron metabolism at the prohormonal level of hepcidin.
Jaroszewicz
Jerzy
J
Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Bialystok, Zurawia Str 14, Bialystok 15-540, Poland.
Rogalska
Magdalena
M
Flisiak
Iwona
I
Flisiak
Robert
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D064451:Hepcidins; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D064451:Hepcidins; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; D007501:Iron; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a