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Hepatic iron contents and response to interferon-α in patients with chronic hepatitis C

Relationship to genotypes of hepatitis C virus

  • Liver: Infections, Inflammatory, And Metabolic Disorders
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Abstract

Recent reports have shown that response to interferon treatment is influenced by hepatic iron contents in patients with chronic hepatitis C. In those reports, however, hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes and serum HCV-RNA levels were not examined. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether hepatic iron contents influence the response to interferon in patients with chronic hepatitis C and whether HCV genotypes and serum HCV-RNA levels play a role in this relationship. Among 65 patients with chronic hepatitis C, hepatic iron contents were significantly high in patients with a history of excess drinking of alcohol (more than 80 g/day) compared to those without, and significantly low in female patients before menopause. Having excluded these patients, hepatic iron contents were significantly higher in patients with genotype 1b infection than those with genotype 2a and 2b infection. There was no significant correlation between hepatic iron contents and plasma HCV-RNA levels. Among the patients with genotype 1b infection, hepatic iron contents were significantly lower in the responders to interferon than those in the nonresponders (429 ± 100 vs 875 ± 110 µg/g liver,P<0.05). From these results, it is concluded that response to interferon is mainly influenced by HCV genotypes, while hepatic iron contents may play an important role in response to interferon in patients with genotype 1b infection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. From the Department of Internal Medicine, Musashino Redcross Hospital, and Tokyo Metropolitan Red-cross Blood Center, Kyonan-cho, Musashino-shi, 180, Tokyo, Japan

    Namiki Izumi MD, Nobuyuki Enomoto MD, Masakatsu Uchihara MD, Takeshi Murakami MD, Keiichi Ono MD, Osamu Noguchi MD, Shozo Miyake MD, Toshihiko Nouchi MD, Kiyoshi Fujisawa MD, Fumiaki Marumo MD &  Chifumi Sato MD

  2. Second Department of Internal Medicine, and Division of Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, 113, Tokyo, Japan

    Namiki Izumi MD, Nobuyuki Enomoto MD, Masakatsu Uchihara MD, Takeshi Murakami MD, Keiichi Ono MD, Osamu Noguchi MD, Shozo Miyake MD, Toshihiko Nouchi MD, Kiyoshi Fujisawa MD, Fumiaki Marumo MD &  Chifumi Sato MD

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Koritsu Showa Hospital, Tenjincho, Kodaira-shi, 187, Tokyo, Japan

    Namiki Izumi MD, Nobuyuki Enomoto MD, Masakatsu Uchihara MD, Takeshi Murakami MD, Keiichi Ono MD, Osamu Noguchi MD, Shozo Miyake MD, Toshihiko Nouchi MD, Kiyoshi Fujisawa MD, Fumiaki Marumo MD &  Chifumi Sato MD

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  1. Namiki Izumi MD
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  2. Nobuyuki Enomoto MD
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  3. Masakatsu Uchihara MD
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  4. Takeshi Murakami MD
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  5. Keiichi Ono MD
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  6. Osamu Noguchi MD
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  7. Shozo Miyake MD
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  8. Toshihiko Nouchi MD
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  9. Kiyoshi Fujisawa MD
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  10. Fumiaki Marumo MD
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  11. Chifumi Sato MD
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Izumi, N., Enomoto, N., Uchihara, M. et al. Hepatic iron contents and response to interferon-α in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Digest Dis Sci 41, 989–994 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02091542

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02091542

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