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Changes
in Adiponectin Levels among Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B and
C on Interferon Alfa Therapy
This study was designed to survey the change of adiponectin
levels before and after interferon-alfa
(IFN-alfa) therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis
B and C infections.
Twenty-one
biopsy-proved patients with chronic hepatitis B (10
cases) and chronic hepatitis C
(11 cases) were given IFN-alfa for a total of 24 weeks.
Fasting
plasma glucose,
insulin and adiponectin
levels were obtained before and 12 weeks after completion
of IFN-alfa therapy. Insulin suppression test was conducted before
and within 1 week after IFN-alfa therapy.
Results
· The
change of adiponectin levels differed significantly between responders
(eight cases) and non-responders (13
cases) to IFN-alfa treatment (P=0.03).
· After
adjusting for age, gender and change in body mass index, the study
found the change of adiponectin levels still significantly related
to the response to IFN-alfa (P=0.04).
· When
hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients
were separately analyzed, the adiponectin levels reported a trend
to decrease in HCV responders (n=4) and HBV responders (n=4).
· In
addition, a significant decrease of steady-state plasma glucose
in insulin suppression test was noted in responders, but not in
non-responders, after IFN-alfa therapy.
Conclusions
Based
on these results, the study authors conclude, “IFN-alfa resulted
in a decrease of serum adiponectin levels but an improvement of insulin resistance
in responders to the treatment.”
“The
result contradicts the previous concept of the relationship between
insulin resistance and adiponectin levels. Whether and how the augmented
immune response, which was supposed to result from the disappearance
or the profound down-regulation of the virus or viral antigens in
responders to IFN-alfa treatment, contributes to the lowering of
adiponectin levels needs to be further investigated.”
Department of Laboratory Medicine,
National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
07/1/05
Reference
J-Y
Lu and others. Adiponectin levels among
patients with chronic hepatitis B and C infections and in response
to IFN-alfa therapy. Liver International 25(4):752-759. August 2005.
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