ELEVATED SERUM LEVELS OF 90K MAC-2 BP PREDICT UNRESPONSIVENESS TO ALPHA-INTERFERON THERAPY IN CHRONIC HCV HEPATITIS PATIENTS/

Background: The clinical outcome of hepatitis virus infections is thou ght to depend on the complex interplay between the host immune respons e profile and virus factors, 90K/MAC-2 BP is a novel member of the Sca venger Receptor Cysteine Rich protein superfamily that functions as a molecular alarm signal for the cellular immune system against both can cer cells and virus infections. Methods: To assess the significance an d the potential clinical usefulness of testing for serum levels of 90K /MAC-2 BP in chronic viral hepatitis patients we studied 115 consecuti ve patients with chronic HCV hepatitis, 28 HBsAg chronic hepatitis pat ients, 12 asymptomatic HCV carriers and 11 asymptomatic HBV carriers, 103 out of the 115 HCV patients have been treated with recombinant alp ha 2a-interferon at the dose of 3 Mega Units (MU) t.i.w. for 6 months followed by 1.5 M.U. t.i.w. for 6 months, and have been followed up fo r a further 12 months, Serum levels of 90K/MAC-2 BP were measured by a n immunoradiometric assay based on the specific SP-2 monoclonal antibo dy. Results and Conclusions: Serum 90K/MAC-2 BP levels are increased i n chronic viral hepatitis patients, being significantly higher in HCV than in HBV patients, In chronic HCV hepatitis, serum 90K/MAC-2 BP lev els are related to both the degree of disease severity and duration of infection, Moreover, elevated 90K/MAC-2 BP serum levels are an indepe ndent predictor of failure to respond to alpha-interferon treatment in a cohort of community-acquired chronic hepatitis C patients.