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Semin Liver Dis 2004; 24: 55-60
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-832929
Copyright © 2004 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Histological Response to Interferon Alfa-Based Therapies in Hepatitis C

Samuel S. Lee1
  • 1Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Publication History

Publication Date:
02 September 2004 (online)

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Histological response is defined as an improvement in the severity of liver inflammation with or without an improvement in fibrosis in patients following treatment for an acute or chronic liver disorder. Histological response occurs in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who have had a sustained virological response following treatment with interferon (IFN) therapy and in a percentage of nonresponders. Continuing IFN long term as maintenance therapy has been shown to prevent histological progression in patients who had both a marked decline in serum HCV RNA level during treatment and a histological response on repeat histological analysis. Prospective controlled trials are currently evaluating the benefits of low-dose maintenance therapy with pegylated IFN in HCV patients who have failed to achieve sustained virological response. In the future, the development of serum markers of fibrosis may allow for monitoring of hepatic fibrosis and histological response to therapy without the need to perform repeat liver biopsy.

KEYWORDS

Liver biopsy - peginterferon - fibrosis - cirrhosis - treatment

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Samuel S LeeM.D. 

Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary

3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB

T2N 4N1, Canada

Email: samlee@ucalgary.ca