title: Does interferon and ribavirin combination therapy ameliorate growth hormone deficiency in HCV genotype-4 infected patients?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the impact of response to interferon and ribavirin antiviral therapy on human growth hormone (hGH) levels in Egyptian chronic hepatitis C genotype-4 infected patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied eighty Egyptian HCV infected patients visiting outpatient clinics of Tropical Medicine and Hepatology Department, El-Kasr El-Aini Hospital, Cairo University, Egypt. HCV patients received treatment of interferon and ribavirin combination therapy for 24 weeks. Clinical, virological, histological characteristics, and biochemical tests including; liver function tests (ALT and AST), prothrombin time (PT), alpha fetoprotein (AFP), complete blood picture (CBC), and hGH were monitored in hepatitis C genotype-4 infected patients before and after interferon therapy, and healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chronic HCV genotype-4 infected patients have high significant decrease of hGH as compared to healthy control individuals. In addition to, there was high significant increase of hGH in responders as compared to non-responders after treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that Egyptian HCV genotype-4 infected patients have growth hormone insufficiency. Besides, we found that response to interferon/ribavirin treatment has an impact on growth hormone levels.
authors.affiliation: Hormones Department, Medical Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt. gysi_pharma@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Emad F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Eskander
authors.forename: Ahmed A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Abd-Rabou
authors.forename: Shaymaa M M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Yahya
authors.forename: Olfat G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Shaker
authors.forename: Mervat S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Mohamed
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000379:methods*; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons