ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: To evaluate the cellular immune response to interferon(IFN)-alpha and ribavirin combination therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C, we monitored serum levels of soluble IL-2 receptor(sIL2R) before and after the therapy. METHODS: Serum sIL2R levels before and after the combination therapy were measured in 19 patients with chronic hepatitis C. IFN(3 MU/day, 3 times/week) and ribavirin 1000 mg/day were administered for 24 weeks to all patients. RESULTS: After the therapy, sIL2R levels were increased (before, 3.13 0.67 ng/m L, and after 4.08 2.13 ng/mL, p=0.059) but statistically insignificant(p>0.05). The patients were divided into two groups : the responder group who were negative for serum hepatitis C virus(HCV)-RNA after the therapy, and the non-responder group who were still positive for HCV-RNA after the therapy. Between these two groups, sIL2R levels before and after the therapy were not significantly different. The ratio of sIL2R levels before and after the therapy was calculated, although the ratio was higher in responder group, but there was no significant difference between the two groups(sIL2R after the therapy)/(sIL2R before the therapy) : 1.43 0.70 in the responder group and 1.04 0.28 in the nonresponder group, p=0.096). CONCLUSION: Although these results failed to demonstrate that sIL2R level was increased during the combination therapy in patients with hepatitis C, this study suggested that cytokines which mediate immune response may be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic heaptitis C virus infection.