TY - JOUR
T1 - Endogenous interferon-α concentration and outcome of interferon treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C
AU - Pirisi, Mario
AU - Fabris, Carlo
AU - Toniutto, Pierluigi
AU - Falleti, Edmondo
AU - Tisminetzky, Sergio G.
AU - Gerotto, Martina
AU - Soardo, Giorgio
AU - Vitulli, Daniela
AU - Del Forno, Monica
AU - Baralle, Francisco
AU - Bartoli, Ettore
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - To verify its value with regard to the outcome of therapy in chronic hepatitis C, serum interferon-α (IFN) was measured by ELISA in 70 patients (43 male, 27 female) with chronic hepatitis C, treated with IFN 9 MU/week subcutaneously for up to one year. Serum IFN was detectable in 49/70 patients, 16 of whom had IFN values > 125 pg/ml. Only 1/22 patients who maintained a sustained response six months after the end of treatment had pretreatment serum IFN > 125 pg/ml, in comparison to 15/48 patients who did not respond or who relapsed (χ2 6.1, P < 0.02). At multivariate analysis the predictive value of serum IFN was independent of age, sex, presence of cirrhosis, infection by genotype 1b (improvement χ2 7.1, P < 0.01). In patients with chronic hepatitis C, measurement of serum IFN at baseline might be useful for the selection of patients with higher probability of long-term response.
AB - To verify its value with regard to the outcome of therapy in chronic hepatitis C, serum interferon-α (IFN) was measured by ELISA in 70 patients (43 male, 27 female) with chronic hepatitis C, treated with IFN 9 MU/week subcutaneously for up to one year. Serum IFN was detectable in 49/70 patients, 16 of whom had IFN values > 125 pg/ml. Only 1/22 patients who maintained a sustained response six months after the end of treatment had pretreatment serum IFN > 125 pg/ml, in comparison to 15/48 patients who did not respond or who relapsed (χ2 6.1, P < 0.02). At multivariate analysis the predictive value of serum IFN was independent of age, sex, presence of cirrhosis, infection by genotype 1b (improvement χ2 7.1, P < 0.01). In patients with chronic hepatitis C, measurement of serum IFN at baseline might be useful for the selection of patients with higher probability of long-term response.
KW - chronic liver disease
KW - hepatitis C virus
KW - interferon
KW - treatment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=8244224535&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1023/A:1018808012823
DO - 10.1023/A:1018808012823
M3 - Article
SN - 0163-2116
VL - 42
SP - 767
EP - 771
JO - Digestive Diseases and Sciences
JF - Digestive Diseases and Sciences
IS - 4
ER -
