Neopterin as a Predictor of Response to Pegylated Interferon Therapy in Egyptian Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus
Heba Gamal Abdelaziz *
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
Tamer Mahmoud El- Tantawy
Endemic Hepatogastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Hanan Abd El-Mawgoud Attia
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
Mayada Mosa Hamed
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Neopterin is a proinflammatorymarker which participates in cell-mediated immunity, and its elevated concentrations declare the presence of interferon-γ in body fluids. In thisstudy, neopterin concentrations were determined in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)to assess whether its plasma level can be used to predict the response to antiviral therapy by pegIFNγ combined with ribavirin before starting the treatment.
Materials and Mehtods: A total of 54 subjects (all males with an average age of 46.12± 9.89) were included in this study. Neopterin levels were evaluatedby Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELIZA) in HCV patients treated with peylated interferon combined with ribavirin. Liver function tests (Aspartate aminotransferase, Alanine aminotransferase), albumin and creatinine concentrations were also estimatied.
Results: Mean and median pretreatment neopterin levelsshowed no statistically difference between patients with sustained virological response (cured)and non-responders (relapsed) where the concentrations in both groups were≥16 nmol/L.On the other hand, a positive correlation was observed between neopterin level and creatinine at (p ≤ 0.05).
Conclusion: Our study suggests that the pretreatment level of neopterin might not be used in routine clinical practice as a marker to predict the response to antiviral therapy in HCVpatients.
Keywords: HCV, Neopterin, pegylated IFN-γ, ribavirin