AIM:Smoking may affect adversely the response rate to interferon-α.Our objective was to verify this issue among chronic hepatitis C patients. METHODS:Over the year 1998,138 chronic hepatitis C male Egyptian patients ...AIM:Smoking may affect adversely the response rate to interferon-α.Our objective was to verify this issue among chronic hepatitis C patients. METHODS:Over the year 1998,138 chronic hepatitis C male Egyptian patients presenting to Cairo Liver Center, were divided on the basis of smoking habit into:group I which comprised 38 smoker patients(>30 cigarettes/d) and group Ⅱ which included 84 non-smoker patients. Irregular and mild smokers(16 patients)were excluded. Non eligible patients for interferon-α therapy were excluded from the study and comprised 3/38(normal ALT)in group I and 22/84 in group Ⅱ(normal ALT,advanced cirrhosis and thrombocytopenia).Group I was randomly allocated into 2 sub-groups:group Ia comprised 18 patients who were subjected to therapeutic phlebotomy while sub-group Ib consisted of 17 patients who had no phlebotomy.In sub-group la,3 patients with normal ALT after repeated phlebotomies were excluded from the study.Interferon-α 2b 3 MU/TIW was given for 6 mo to 15 patients in group Ia,17 patients in group Ib and 62 patients in group Ⅱ. Biochemical,virological end-of-treatment and sustained responses were evaluated. RESULTS:At the end of interferon-α treatment,ALT was normalized in 3/15 patients(20%)in group Ia and 2/17 patients(11.8%)in group Ib compared to17/62 patients (27.4%)in group Ⅱ(P=0.1).Whereas 2/15 patients(13.3%) in group Ia.and 2/17 patients(11.8%)in group Ib lost viraemia compared to 13/62 patients(26%)in group Ⅱ (P=0.3).Six months later,ALT was persistently normal in 2/15 patients(13.3%)in group 1a and 1/17 patients (5.9%)in group Ib compared to 9/62 patients(14.5%)in group Ⅱ(P=0.47).Viraemia was eliminated in 1/15 patients (6.7%)in group Ia and 1/17 patients(5.9%)in group Ib compared to 7/62 patients(11.3%) in group Ⅱ,but the results did not mount to statistical significance(P=0.4). CONCLUSION:Smokers suffering from chronic hepatitis C tend to have a lower response rate to interferon-α compared to non-smokers.Therapeutic phlebotomy improves the response rate to interferon-α therapy among this group.展开更多
文摘AIM:Smoking may affect adversely the response rate to interferon-α.Our objective was to verify this issue among chronic hepatitis C patients. METHODS:Over the year 1998,138 chronic hepatitis C male Egyptian patients presenting to Cairo Liver Center, were divided on the basis of smoking habit into:group I which comprised 38 smoker patients(>30 cigarettes/d) and group Ⅱ which included 84 non-smoker patients. Irregular and mild smokers(16 patients)were excluded. Non eligible patients for interferon-α therapy were excluded from the study and comprised 3/38(normal ALT)in group I and 22/84 in group Ⅱ(normal ALT,advanced cirrhosis and thrombocytopenia).Group I was randomly allocated into 2 sub-groups:group Ia comprised 18 patients who were subjected to therapeutic phlebotomy while sub-group Ib consisted of 17 patients who had no phlebotomy.In sub-group la,3 patients with normal ALT after repeated phlebotomies were excluded from the study.Interferon-α 2b 3 MU/TIW was given for 6 mo to 15 patients in group Ia,17 patients in group Ib and 62 patients in group Ⅱ. Biochemical,virological end-of-treatment and sustained responses were evaluated. RESULTS:At the end of interferon-α treatment,ALT was normalized in 3/15 patients(20%)in group Ia and 2/17 patients(11.8%)in group Ib compared to17/62 patients (27.4%)in group Ⅱ(P=0.1).Whereas 2/15 patients(13.3%) in group Ia.and 2/17 patients(11.8%)in group Ib lost viraemia compared to 13/62 patients(26%)in group Ⅱ (P=0.3).Six months later,ALT was persistently normal in 2/15 patients(13.3%)in group 1a and 1/17 patients (5.9%)in group Ib compared to 9/62 patients(14.5%)in group Ⅱ(P=0.47).Viraemia was eliminated in 1/15 patients (6.7%)in group Ia and 1/17 patients(5.9%)in group Ib compared to 7/62 patients(11.3%) in group Ⅱ,but the results did not mount to statistical significance(P=0.4). CONCLUSION:Smokers suffering from chronic hepatitis C tend to have a lower response rate to interferon-α compared to non-smokers.Therapeutic phlebotomy improves the response rate to interferon-α therapy among this group.
