Pegylated interferon alpha therapy in acute hepatitis C: relation to hepatitis C virus-specific T cell response kinetics.
Hepatology
; 39(6): 1721-31, 2004 Jun.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-15185314
ABSTRACT
Pegylated interferon alpha (PEG IFN-alpha) improves sustained virological response rates in chronic hepatitis C, but neither its role in acute hepatitis C nor the biologic basis for its action has been defined. This prospective study assessed the efficacy of PEG IFN-alpha treatment in acute hepatitis C in relation to the kinetics of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific CD4(+) T cell responses during therapy and follow-up. Forty subjects with proven acute hepatitis C who received either PEG IFN-alpha plus ribavirin (n = 20) or PEG IFN-alpha monotherapy (n = 20) for 24 weeks in addition to 14 untreated subjects with acute hepatitis C were prospectively followed. Serum HCV RNA, HCV-specific CD4(+) T cell responses, and cytokine production were measured before and during therapy and at follow-up and correlated to the outcome. The sustained virological response rate was 85% with PEG IFN-alpha/ribavirin combination and 80% with PEG IFN-alpha monotherapy. Five untreated subjects had spontaneous recovery. The frequency, magnitude, and breadth of HCV-specific CD4(+) T helper 1 responses were significantly higher in treated subjects compared with untreated subjects with self-limited disease or subjects with chronic evolution. The CD4(+) T cell responses were maintained in subjects with sustained virological responses and self-limited disease but fluctuated in those who developed chronic infection. In conclusion, PEG IFN-alpha therapy in acute hepatitis induces high rates of sustained virological response and prevents choronicity, probably through efficient early stimulation of multispecific HCV-specific CD4(+) T helper 1 responses.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Contexto em Saúde:
2_ODS3
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Antivirais
/
Polietilenoglicóis
/
Linfócitos T
/
Interferon-alfa
/
Hepatite C
/
Hepacivirus
Tipo de estudo:
Clinical_trials
/
Observational_studies
Limite:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Hepatology
Ano de publicação:
2004
Tipo de documento:
Article