[Correlation between histological features of liver biopsy specimens and clinical effect of interferon on patients with chronic hepatitis C].

The correlation between histological features of liver biopsy specimens before interferon (IFN) treatment and the clinical effect of IFN administration on chronic hepatitis C was investigated. The changes in the biopsy specimens were graded on the basis of different histological features. The degree of portal fibrosis adversely affected the rate of normalization of ALT levels in the patients treated with IFN. During IFN treatment, the group of chronic hepatitis C patients who showed marked piecemeal necrosis and less lymphoid follicle formation in the liver specimens, showed abnormal ALT values even after disappearance of hepatitis C virus RNA in the sera, suggesting that functions of IFN other than antiviral effect, including enhancing interaction between lymphocytes and hepatocytes, sometimes induce exacerbation of hepatitis.