L-carnitine supplementation improves hematological pattern in patients affected by HCV treated with Peg interferon-α 2b plus ribavirin

Table 2 Laboratory parameters of subjects included in the study (mean ± SD)

	1Group A (n = 35)		2Group B (n = 34)
	Before treatment	After 12 mo	Before treatment	After 12 mo
AST (IU/L)	145 ± 44.2	36.2 ± 12.8ad	136 ± 41.4	59.2 ± 15.4bd
ALT (IU/L)	182.1 ± 46.2	44.2 ± 13.8bd	174.1 ± 42.2	61.8 ± 15.4bd
Bilirubin (mmol/L)	10.7 ± 7.8	10.1 ± 5.6	10.2 ± 9.0	10.1 ± 7.8
Albumin (g/dL)	4.2 ± 0.8	4.2 ± 0.8	4.4 ± 0.8	4.0 ± 0.8a
Viremia (× 106 copies/mL)	5.44 ± 3.12	1.4 ± 1.1bd	5.32 ± 3.21	2.96 ± 1.9bd
HAI score	10.7 ± 3.1	8.4 ± 2.9a	10.5 ± 2.9	9.0 ± 3.0a
Hemoglobin (g/dL)	13.1 ± 1.8	12.1 ± 2.7d	13.4 ± 1.9	9.9 ± 2.7bd
RBC (× 1012/L)	4.7 ± 0.4	4.4 ± 0.7ad	4.9 ± 0.6	3.8 ± 0.7bd
WBC (× 109/L)	7.9 ± 1.8	6.4 ± 0.8bd	7.8 ± 1.8	4.8 ± 0.8bd
Platelets (× 109/L)	384 ± 22	298 ± 36bd	412 ± 21	327 ± 24bd

^aP < 0.05,

^bP < 0.001, comparison within group A and within group B according to the values before the treatment;

^dP < 0.001, groups A vs B after treatment. RBV: Ribavirin; HAI: Histological activity index; RBC: Red blood cells; WBC: White blood cells; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; IFN-α: Interferon α.

¹Group A: Peg IFN-α + RBV + L-carnitine;

²Group B: Peg IFN-α + RBV.