Oxidative stress in chronic hepatitis C: the effect of interferon therapy and correlation with pathological features.

AIMS: To evaluate the oxidative stress parameters before, during and after interferon treatment. PATIENTS/METHODS: Twenty patients were treated with interferon a2b 5 MU, three times a week, subcutaneously, for 12 months. Liver biopsy was performed six months before treatment and at the six month follow-up. Chromosomal breakage studies were evaluated by the adjusted clastogenic score (ACS, normal value [nv] 1.1 +/- 2.4%). Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured according to the Yagi method (nv 6.6 +/- 1.4 nmol/mL) and total thiols using the Ellman's reagent (DTNB) (nv 9.8 +/- 1.3 micromol/g protein). A serum marker of fibrogenesis, the amino-terminal propeptide of Procollagen type III (PIIIP), was quantified by radioimmunoassay (nv 0.37 +/- 0.18 U/L). RESULTS: Compared with reference samples, the plasma of patients before treatment showed an increase of ACS (9.2 +/- 3.2%, P<0.001); higher MDA values (12.6 +/- 2.7 nmol/mL, P<0.001) and total plasma sulfhydryl groups (t-SH) were decreased (6.3 +/- 1.1 micromol/g protein, P<0.001). During treatment and at the follow-up, a decrease in ACS was noticed in all patients (P<0.001), but without normalization; a decrease in MDA was seen, with progressive normalization until the end of the follow up only in sustained responders (P<0.003), while an increase of t-SH was seen, with progressive normalization until the end of follow up in all patients (P<0.005). A positive correlation of ACS with grading of inflammation was found (r=0.52, P<0.03) but not with fibrosis staging. In contrast, plasma MDA correlates with fibrosis staging (r=0.51, P<0.03) and with PIIIP (r=0.57, P<0.03) but without grading of inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: The present study confirmed the presence of oxidative stress in chronic hepatitis C patients. Interferon promotes a long term inhibition of oxidative stress with concomitant improvement of activity and fibrosis. In the management of chronic hepatitis C, adjuvant therapy with antioxidants could be useful.

Cystic fibrosis-related liver disease: a single-center experience.

Prospective studies concerning liver disease in pediatric cystic fibrosis patients are scarce. The present study aimed to describe the prevalence and clinical expression of cystic fibrosis - related liver disease, in a cohort of 62 pediatric patients. Descriptive study, resulting from the prospective evaluation, between 1994 and 2009, of 62 pediatric patients (age <18 years) with cystic fibrosis. The follow-up protocol included a clinical assessment every 2 months, liver function tests every 6 months and annual liver ultrasonography. The cumulative prevalence of liver disease was 11.2% (7/62 cases). All patients had ΔF508 mutation and pancreatic insufficiency, none had meconium ileus. The liver involvement became clinically evident at a mean age of 8 years (3-15 years), revealed by hepatomegaly or hepatosplenomegaly (3 cases) and/ or abnormalities of liver function tests (3 cases) changes of liver ultrasound (7 cases) with evidence of portal hypertension (2 cases). Four patients were submitted to liver biopsy; biliary fibrosis was documented in one case, focal biliary cirrhosis in 2 cases and multilobular cirrhosis in another case. Within a median 11.6 years follow-up period (all patients under UDCA therapy after liver disease diagnosis), progression of liver disease was observed in 2 patients; one patient developed refractory variceal bleeding and progressive hepatic failure, requiring liver transplant. The results of the present study agree with those of previous pediatric studies, further documenting clinical expression of liver disease in CF patients, which is usually detected in the first decade of life and emphasize the contribution of ultrasound to early diagnosis of liver involvement. Moreover, although advanced liver disease is a relatively rare event, early isolated liver transplantation may have to be considered at this age group.

Severe intrahepatic cholestasis, erythrocytosis and hypoglycemia: unusual presenting features of systemic AL amyloidosis.

We report the case of a 68-year-old African woman who presented with jaundice, hepatomegaly and anasarca. Clinical investigation disclosed severe intrahepatic cholestasis, nephrotic syndrome, erythrocytosis and hypoglycemia. Diagnosis of systemic AL amyloidosis was established by percutaneous liver biopsy. Bone marrow biopsy showed 32% of myeloma cells. The patient started treatment with melphalan and prednisolone, but liver function deteriorated and she died in hepatic failure complicated by septic shock three weeks after the diagnosis. We present possible explanations for the unusual clinical and laboratory findings, which required a multidisciplinary approach and posed challenging problems in differential diagnosis and management.