HISTAMINE AND THE RESPONSE TO IFN-ALPHA IN CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C

Whole blood concentrations of histamine were examined in 20 patients w ith chronic hepatitis C after longterm treatment with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). In 13 of these patients, a transient (n = 5) or sustaine d (n = 8) normalization of liver enzymes and elimination of viral RNA were noted at the end of therapy, Seven patients did not respond to IF N-alpha. Nonresponding patients had significantly lower histamine leve ls in blood than transient (p = 0.0005) or sustained (p = 0.04) respon ders, Histamine levels were not different in patients with a sustained vs, a transient IFN response. Confounding factors, such as ongoing vi ral replication or liver cirrhosis, did not account for the difference s in histamine levels. Our data suggest that hypohistaminism in periph eral blood may determine a poor response to IFN-alpha in chronic hepat itis C.