[Hepatic iron, iron depletion and response to therapy with peg-Interferon and Ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C. Pilot study]. / Ferro epatico, ferrodeplezione e risposta alla terapia con peg-Interferone e Ribavirina nell'epatite cronica C. Studio pilota.
Clin Ter
; 158(5): 391-5, 2007.
Article
in It
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-18062344
ABSTRACT
AIM:
To estimate whether pretreatment serum iron levels, the HIC (hepatic iron concentration) and the distribution of hepatic iron identify the long-term "responders" and "non-responders" to therapy with peg-IFN and RBV, and whether the addition of phlebotomy could increase the likelihood of therapeutic response. PATIENTS ANDMETHODS:
45 subjects with chronic hepatitis C were taking peg-IFN alpha-2a 180 microg once a week and RBV 1000 mg/die. The "responders" continued therapy with peg-IFN plus RBV, while, the "non-responders" were subjected to phlebotomy. After two weeks and subsequently every month the patients were subjected to blood test and clinical appraisal.RESULTS:
Hepatic iron storage meaningfully conditions the outcome of therapy with peg-IFN and RBV, its reduction by phlebotomy favourably correlates with response to treatment and, at last, the semiquantitative histological appraisal would have to be included in the pre-treatment work-up of patients with chronic hepatitis C.CONCLUSIONS:
The study results, even though obtained on a small size of cases, allow to conclude that serum corporeal iron evaluation underestimates the real hepatic iron concentration; the hepatic iron concentration, in turn, negatively conditions the response to therapy with peg-IFN and RBV (by reducing the percentage of the fast virological response). Lastly, iron removal by phlebotomy favourably correlates with the response to treatment.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Antiviral Agents
/
Polyethylene Glycols
/
Ribavirin
/
Interferon-alpha
/
Phlebotomy
/
Hepatitis C, Chronic
/
Iron
/
Liver
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Language:
It
Journal:
Clin Ter
Year:
2007
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country: