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Oral prostaglandin (PGE 2 ) therapy for chronic viral hepatitis B and C
Author(s) -
Hyman A.,
Yim C.,
Krajden M.,
Read S.,
Basinski A. S. H.,
Wanless I.,
Levy G.,
Heathcote J.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of viral hepatitis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1365-2893
pISSN - 1352-0504
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2893.1999.00161.x
Subject(s) - medicine , seroconversion , hbeag , immunology , viral hepatitis , hepatitis , hepatitis b , gastroenterology , hepatitis c , alanine transaminase , hepatitis b virus , virus , hbsag
The cytoprotective effects of prostaglandins have been utilized in the prevention of hepatitis B virus reactivation after liver transplantation. This pilot study evaluated the effects of oral prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) in chronic viral hepatitis B and C. Twenty patients with chronic hepatitis B and 20 patients with chronic hepatitis C received 4mgday –1 PGE 2 for 6 months. The lymphocyte antiviral enzyme 2’,5’‐oligoadenylate synthetase (2’,5’‐OAS) and peripheral blood monocyte procoagulant activity (PCA) were measured before, during and after the treatment. Three of 20 hepatitis B and five of 20 hepatitis C patients withdrew from the study. Eight of 17 hepatitis B patients responded: in seven of these eight patients, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels normalized; loss of viral replication was sustained in all eight patients; and seroconversion from hepatitis Be antigen (HBeAg) to hepatitis Be antibody (HBeAb) positivity occurred in seven patients over the 48‐week duration of this study. In 14 of the 15 hepatitis C patients, hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA remained detectable and the serum ALT levels remained elevated. 2’,5’‐OAS levels and PCA values did not correlate with other markers of response to PGE 2 therapy in either chronic hepatitis B or C. In summary, PGE 2 was associated with sustained loss of viral replication in 47% of chronic hepatitis B patients; no beneficial effects were apparent in chronic hepatitis C.