ASSESSMENT OF HISTOLOGICAL FEATURES AND OUTCOME OF INTERFERON THERAPYIN CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C

The correlation between the histological features of liver biopsy spec imens before interferon (IFN) treatment and the clinical effect of IFN administration on chronic hepatitis C was investigated. A study of th e relation between several histological features that were graded in 6 0 liver biopsy specimens from chronic hepatitis C patients before IFN treatment disclosed that the grade of portal fibrosis was positively c orrelated with the grade of other inflammatory features, including pie cemeal necrosis and portal and lobular inflammation. The degree of por tal fibrosis adversely affected the rate of normalization of ALT level s in chronic hepatitis C during and after IFN treatment. We reexamined 36 liver biopsy specimens that showed a moderate degree of portal fib rosis, and found that the degree of piecemeal necrosis was inversely c orrelated with the extent of lymphoid follicle formation in the portal tracts. During IFN therapy, the group of chronic hepatitis C patients who showed marked piecemeal necrosis and less lymphoid follicle forma tion in the liver specimens had a poor response to IFN treatment, wher eas another group that showed marked lymphoid follicle formation and l ittle piecemeal necrosis in the liver specimens had a good response to IFN. These relationships gradually disappeared after the completion o f IFN treatment.