5 research outputs found
Chronic hepatitis C: hepatic iron content does not correlate with response to antiviral therapy
The complex interaction between hepatitis C virus infection, iron homeostasis and the response to antiviral treatment remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of hepatic iron concentration (HIC) on the sustained virological response (SVR) to antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. A total of 50 patients who underwent pretreatment liver biopsy with assessment of HIC by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy and were subsequently submitted to antiviral treatment with interferon/peginterferon and ribavirin were included in the study. Patients with alcoholism, history of multiple blood transfusion, chronic kidney disease, hemolytic anemia and parenteral iron therapy were excluded. The iron related markers and HIC were compared between those who achieved an SVR and non-responders (NR) patients. The mean age was 45.7 years and the proportion of patients' gender was not different between SVR and NR patients. The median serum iron was 138 and 134 µg/dL (p = 0.9), the median serum ferritin was 152.5 and 179.5 ng/mL (p = 0.87) and the median HIC was 9.9 and 8.2 µmol/g dry tissue (p = 0.51), for SVR and NR patients, respectively. Thus, hepatic iron concentration, determined by a reliable quantitative method, was not a negative predictive factor of SVR in patients with chronic hepatitis C presenting mild to moderate hepatic iron accumulation.A complexa interação entre infecção pelo vĂrus da hepatite C, homeostase do ferro e resposta ao tratamento antiviral permanece controversa. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influĂŞncia da concentração hepática de ferro (CHF) na resposta virolĂłgica sustentada (RVS) Ă terapia antiviral na hepatite C crĂ´nica. Foram incluĂdos 50 pacientes que foram submetidos Ă biopsia hepática prĂ©-tratamento com determinação da CHF por espectrofotometria de absorção atĂ´mica com forno de grafite e tratados posteriormente com interferon/peginterferon e ribavirina. Pacientes com alcoolismo, histĂłria de mĂşltiplas transfusões sanguĂneas, doença renal crĂ´nica, anemia hemolĂtica e terapia com ferro parenteral foram excluĂdos. O perfil de ferro sĂ©rico e a CHF foram comparados entre aqueles que atingiram RVS e os nĂŁo-respondedores (NR). A mĂ©dia de idade dos pacientes foi 45,7 anos e nĂŁo houve diferença na proporção de homens e mulheres entre os grupos RVS e NR. A mediana do ferro sĂ©rico foi 138 and 134 µg/dL (p = 0.9), a mediana da ferritina sĂ©rica foi 152,5 e 179,5 ng/mL (p = 0,87) e a CHF mediana foi 9,9 e 8,2 µmol/g de tecido seco (p = 0,51), para pacientes com RVS e NR, respectivamente. Concluindo, a concentração hepática de ferro, determinada por um mĂ©todo quantitativo confiável, nĂŁo foi um fator preditivo negativo de RVS em pacientes com hepatite C crĂ´nica e acĂşmulo de ferro hepático leve a moderado