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Long‐term follow up of chronic hepatitis C patients after α‐interferon treatment: A functional study
Author(s) -
Giannini Edoardo,
Fasoli Alberto,
Botta Federica,
Testa Emanuela,
Romagnoli Paola,
Ceppa Paola,
Testa Roberto
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1746.2001.02463.x
Subject(s) - medicine , gastroenterology , hepatitis c virus , liver biopsy , liver function tests , hepatitis c , interferon , alpha interferon , virus , biopsy , immunology
Aim: To evaluate the long‐term functional outcome of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients treated with interferon (IFN) therapy. Methods: Thirty‐six patients with CHC were followed up for a mean of 36 months (± 19, SD) after a course of IFN therapy. Biochemical, virological (qualitative hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐RNA and HCV genotype), and functional (monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) test) evaluations were carried out at the time of liver biopsy. Patients were divided into long‐term responders (LTR), relapsers (RR), or non‐responders (NR) according to IFN therapy outcome. At the end of follow up, patients were non‐invasively re‐evaluated by means of biochemistry, qualitative HCV‐RNA, MEGX test, and liver ultrasonography. Results: A significant decrease in MEGX values was observed in all patients. However, when patients were examined according to treatment outcome, only NR and RR showed a significant decrease in liver function as compared to pretreatment levels (MEGX 30 , 80.5 ± 26.8–62.9 ± 24.2 ng/mL, P < 0.01; MEGX 60 , 72.9 ± 18.1–60.5 ± 19.7 ng/mL, P < 0.05; MEGX AUC , 3816 ± 1243–3095 ± 1205 ng/mL per h, P < 0.05). On the contrary, LTR patients showed no significant modifications in MEGX values at each sampling time (MEGX 15 , 72.9 ± 31.4–70.3 ± 29.7 ng/mL; MEGX 30 , 84.0 ± 27.6–71.5 ± 21.8 ng/ mL; MEGX 60 , 69.5 ± 26.8–63.2 ± 14.4 ng/mL; MEGX AUC 4028 ± 1378–3620 ± 1041 ng/mL per h). At the end of follow up, LTR patients showed normal liver biochemistry and negativity of serum HCV‐RNA, while NR and RR patients showed a significant decrease in platelets. Conclusions: In CHC patients long‐term response to IFN therapy, besides favoring positive clinical and virologic long‐term outcome, results in maintaining preserved liver function. Furthermore, IFN therapy seems to determine a decrease in the rate of functional disease progression, even in NR and RR. The MEGX test may be considered as a useful tool for performing serial follow up of CHC patients.