AIM: To study the outcomes of patients with compensated hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis. METHODS: Twenty-four grade A5 and 11 grade A6 of Child-Pugh classification cirrhotic patients with active virus replication, treated for a mean period of 31.3 +/- 5.1 mo with moderate doses of interferon-alpha and ribavirin, were compared to a cohort of 36 patients with similar characteristics, without antiviral treatment. Salivary caffeine concentration, a liver test of microsomal function, was determined at the starting and thrice in course of therapy after a mean period of 11 +/- 1.6 mo, meanwhile the resistive index of splenic artery at ultra sound Doppler, an indirect index of portal hypertension, was only measured at the beginning and the end of study. RESULTS: Eight out of the 24 A5- (33.3%) and 5 out of the 11 A6- (45.45%) treated-cirrhotic patients showed a significant improvement in the total overnight salivary caffeine assessment. A reduction up to 20% of the resistive index of splenic artery was obtained in 3 out of the 8 A5- (37.5%) and in 2 out of the 5 A6- (40%) cirrhotic patients with an improved liver function, which showed a clear tendency to decrease at the end of therapy. The hepatitis C virus clearance was achieved in 3 out of the 24 (12.5%) A5- and 1 out of the 11 (0.091%) A6-patients after a median period of 8.5 mo combined therapy. In the cohort of non-treated cirrhotic patients, not only the considered parameters remained unchanged, but 3 patients (8.3%) had a worsening of the Child-Pugh score (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: A prolonged antiviral therapy with moderate dosages of interferon-alpha and ribavirin shows a trend to stable liver function or to ameliorate the residual liver function, the entity of portal hypertension and the compensation status at acceptable costs.
AIM: To study the outcomes of patients with compensated hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis. METHODS: Twenty-four grade A5 and 11 grade A6 of Child-Pugh classification cirrhotic patients with active virus replication, treated for a mean period of 31.3 +/- 5.1 mo with moderate doses of interferon-alpha and ribavirin, were compared to a cohort of 36 patients with similar characteristics, without antiviral treatment. Salivary caffeine concentration, a liver test of microsomal function, was determined at the starting and thrice in course of therapy after a mean period of 11 +/- 1.6 mo, meanwhile the resistive index of splenic artery at ultra sound Doppler, an indirect index of portal hypertension, was only measured at the beginning and the end of study. RESULTS: Eight out of the 24 A5- (33.3%) and 5 out of the 11 A6- (45.45%) treated-cirrhotic patients showed a significant improvement in the total overnight salivary caffeine assessment. A reduction up to 20% of the resistive index of splenic artery was obtained in 3 out of the 8 A5- (37.5%) and in 2 out of the 5 A6- (40%) cirrhotic patients with an improved liver function, which showed a clear tendency to decrease at the end of therapy. The hepatitis C virus clearance was achieved in 3 out of the 24 (12.5%) A5- and 1 out of the 11 (0.091%) A6-patients after a median period of 8.5 mo combined therapy. In the cohort of non-treated cirrhotic patients, not only the considered parameters remained unchanged, but 3 patients (8.3%) had a worsening of the Child-Pugh score (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: A prolonged antiviral therapy with moderate dosages of interferon-alpha and ribavirin shows a trend to stable liver function or to ameliorate the residual liver function, the entity of portal hypertension and the compensation status at acceptable costs.
Authors: A Gramenzi; P Andreone; S Fiorino; C Cammà; M Giunta; D Magalotti; C Cursaro; C Calabrese; V Arienti; C Rossi; G Di Febo; M Zoli; A Craxì; G Gasbarrini; M Bernardi Journal: Gut Date: 2001-06 Impact factor: 23.059
Authors: N Nieto; J A Dominguez-Rosales; L Fontana; A Salazar; J Armendariz-Borunda; P Greenwel; M Rojkind Journal: Hepatology Date: 2001-03 Impact factor: 17.425
Authors: M P Manns; J G McHutchison; S C Gordon; V K Rustgi; M Shiffman; R Reindollar; Z D Goodman; K Koury; M Ling; J K Albrecht Journal: Lancet Date: 2001-09-22 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: C Niederau; S Lange; T Heintges; A Erhardt; M Buschkamp; D Hürter; M Nawrocki; L Kruska; F Hensel; W Petry; D Häussinger Journal: Hepatology Date: 1998-12 Impact factor: 17.425
Authors: M Bolognesi; D Sacerdoti; C Merkel; G Gerunda; A Maffei-Faccioli; P Angeli; R M Jemmolo; G Bombonato; A Gatta Journal: Hepatology Date: 1996-05 Impact factor: 17.425