Effect of pegylated interferon alpha 2b plus ribavirin treatment on plasma transforming growth factor-β1, metalloproteinase-1, and tissue metalloproteinase inhibitor-1 in patients with chronic hepatitis C

Table 1 Plasma concentrations of TGF-β1, TIMP-1, and MMP-1 during treatment (mean±SE)

	Controls	Weeks after starting treatment
		0	24	48	72
TGF-β1 (ng/mL)	18.3±1.6	30.9±3.7a	21.2±2.8c	17.9±2.0c	21.0±2.5c
TIMP-1 (ng/mL)	1 102±67	1 506±61a	1 372±70a	1 389±51a	1410±66a
MMP-1 (ng/mL)	11.9±0.9	6.5±0.9a	7.2±1.5a	7.5±2.6	8.0±1.6

^aP<0.05 vs normal,

^cP<0.05 vs baseline.

Table 2 Correlation expressed by r-value between biochemical indices of liver injury and TGF-β1, TIMP-1, or MMP-1 in chronic hepatitis C patients before treatment

	Bilirubin	ALT	AST
TGF-β1 (ng/mL)	0.24	0.163	0.388a
TIMP-1 (ng/mL)	0.023	0.393a	0.370a
MMP-1 (ng/mL)	–0.192	–0.130	–0.299

^aP<0.05 biochemical indices vs TGF-β₁, TIMP-1, and MMP-1.

Table 3 Correlation expressed by r-value between scored histological picture and TGF-β1, TIMP-1, or MMP-1 in chronic hepatitis C patients before treatmen

	Inflammation		Fibrosis
	Portal	Lobular
TGF-β1 (ng/mL)	0.088	–0.132	0.495a
TIMP-1 (ng/mL)	0.091	0.326	0.404a
MMP-1 (ng/mL)	0.229	0.36	–0.018

^aP<0.05 histological score vs TGF-β₁, TIMP-1, and MMP-1

Table 4 Values of biochemical indices of liver injury during treatment (0, 24, and 48 wk) and 24 wk after its completion (wk 72) in both groups

	Weeks after the beginning of treatment
	0	24	48	72
Bilirubin	Non-responders	1±0.1	1±0.1	0.7±0.1	0.9±0.1
(mg%)	Responders	1.1±0.1	1.1±0.1	0.9±0.1	1.0±0.1
ALT(U/L)	Non-responders	101±15	40±6c	55±20	98±18a
	Responders	96±13	35±9c	24±5c	22±2c
AST(U/L)	Non-responders	58±8	30±4c	34±6ac	64±10a
	Responders	48±6	26±3c	20±1c	19±2c

^aP<0.05 responders vs non-responders,

^cP<0.05 vs baseline.