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Normal
Gamma-glutamyl Transferase (GGT) Level Is an Independent Predictive
Factor of Sustained Virologic Response in HCV Patients Treated
with Interferon Alfa and Ribavirin
Recently, gamma-glutamyl
transferase (GGT) has been investigated as
a predictive factor for therapy response in hepatitis C patients,
but so far its value in pretreatment screening has not been
established. This study aimed at evaluating GGT as an independent
predictive factor for the response to treatment with interferon-alfa
and ribavirin in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected
patients.
Naive
chronic
hepatitis C patients undergoing a 6-month follow-up
after interferon-alfa and ribavirin therapy had their sustained
virologic response (SVR) analyzed according
to age, sex, body mass index, GGT levels, genotype,
and liver histology
by use of a multivariate logistic regression model.
Results
· Of
the 211 patients studied with a mean age of 48+/-10 years,
125 (59%) were males.
· Overweight was detected in 47% of patients.
· Genotype
1 was detected in 141 (75%) of the 187 patients tested.
· Cirrhosis
was present in 67 (32%).
· A
high pretreatment GGT level was observed in 134 (63%).
· SVR was obtained in 84 (40%) patients.
· In
the final logistic regression model, the variables independently
associated with SVR were GGT (P<0.001), genotype (P<0.001),
and liver histology (P<0.001).
The
authors conclude, “A normal GGT level is an independent predictive
factor for SVR in HCV-infected patients and should be considered
for pretreatment screening.”
Hospital Universitario Clementino Fraga
Filho, Department of Internal Medicine, Hepatology Division,
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
09/12/05
Reference
C
A Villela-Nogueira and others. Gamma-glutamyl transferase
(GGT) as an independent predictive factor of sustained virologic
response in patients with hepatitis C treated with interferon-alpha
and ribavirin. Journal of Clincial Gastroenterology
39(8): 728-730. September 2005.
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