Interferon Protein Predicts Hepatitis C Response

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Interferon Protein Predicts Hepatitis C Response

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Mar 03 - Pretreatment levels of interferon

gamma inducible protein 10 (IP-10) are associated with sustained

virological response of hepatitis C to treatment with peginterferon

and ribavirin, according to a report in the March issue of Gut.

" Genotype 1-infected patients with low serum IP-10 levels before

therapy have a higher probability of response to antiviral therapy

than those with elevated IP-10 concentrations, " Dr. Carmelo -

Monzon from University Hospital Santa Cristina, Madrid, told Reuters

Health.

Dr. -Monzon and colleagues evaluated the relationship between

pretreatment serum IP-10 levels and the virological response to

peginterferon plus ribavirin therapy in 137 patients chronically

infected with hepatitis C virus.

Seventy-nine of the patients (57.7%) achieved a sustained virological

response, the authors report, and 58 patients (42.3%) were

nonresponders.

In a multivariate logistic regression analysis of all patients, only

non-1 genotype and low baseline viral load were independent

predictors of a sustained virological response.

When only patients infected with genotype 1 were considered,

pretreatment IP-10 levels and baseline viral load were independent

predictors of a sustained virological response.

Among all hepatitis C virus-infected patients, those with a sustained

virological response had significantly lower pretreatment serum IP-10

levels than the nonresponders, the report indicates, but there was no

significant difference in serum IP-10 levels between the groups after

12 weeks of treatment.

Pretreatment IP-10 levels were significantly higher in patients with

genotype 1 or with advanced fibrosis, the researchers note, but there

was no association between pretreatment IP-10 levels and sex, viral

load, or grade of necroinflammatory activity from the pretreatment

liver biopsy.

" Based on our results, IP-10 may have a role in failure of antiviral

therapy in patients with chronic HCV infection, " the investigators

suggest. " However, the mechanism by which IP-10 modulates the

efficacy of peginterferon plus ribavirin therapy remains elusive, but

it is conceivable that it is related to its biological functions. "

" Our clinical results suggest that IP-10 might interfere with

antiviral activity of interferon alpha in the liver, " Dr. -

Monzon said. " We are planning to carry out studies on cultured

hepatocytes in order to determine whether IP-10 modulates interferon-

mediated antiviral response. Understanding the molecular basis of IP-

10 effects on target cells could provide strategies for improving the

antiviral therapy in chronic HCV infection. "

" Predicting response to antiviral therapy is a crucial point in the

management of patients with chronic HCV infection, " Dr. -Monzon

concluded. " We have shown that IP-10 could be important for

optimizing therapy in genotype 1 patients who are the most difficult

to cure. Definitive conclusions on this issue, however, must await

validation studies worldwide. "

Gut 2006;55:374-379.