Abstract
Objectives: To explore the impact of response to interferon and ribavirin antiviral therapy on human growth hormone (hGH) levels in Egyptian chronic hepatitis C genotype-4 infected patients.
Design and methods: We studied eighty Egyptian HCV infected patients visiting outpatient clinics of Tropical Medicine and Hepatology Department, El-Kasr El-Aini Hospital, Cairo University, Egypt. HCV patients received treatment of interferon and ribavirin combination therapy for 24 weeks. Clinical, virological, histological characteristics, and biochemical tests including; liver function tests (ALT and AST), prothrombin time (In.), alpha fetoprotein (AFP), complete blood picture (CBC), and hGH were monitored in hepatitis C genotype-4 infected patients before and after interferon therapy, and healthy controls.
Results: Chronic HCV genotype-4 infected patients have high significant decrease of hGH as compared to healthy control individuals. In addition to, there was high significant increase of hGH in responders as compared to non-responders after treatment.
Conclusion: We concluded that Egyptian HCV genotype-4 infected patients have growth hormone insufficiency. Besides, we found that response to interferon/ribavirin treatment has an impact on growth hormone levels. (C) 2011 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.