THE EFFECT OF INTERFERON THERAPY ON ERYTHROCYTE-MEMBRANE NA-B AND HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-INFECTIONS(,K+ ATP ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS)

In order to evaluate the effect of alpha interferon on erythrocyte mem brane Na-,K- ATPase (EC 3.6. 1.37) activity, 10 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and 8 patients with chronic hepatiti s C virus (HCV) infection were investigated. Erythrocyte membrane Na+, K+ ATPase activity was determined in controls and in patients with HBV and HCV infection. Na+, K+ ATPase activity was significantly less in untreated patients with (HBV) infection (n = 20; 0.134 +/- 0.073 mu mo l of phosphate produced per milligram of protein per hour) and (HCV) i nfection (n = 11; 0.44 +/- 0.049) when compared to the controls (n = 1 0; 0.219 +/- 0.055). Among these subjects patients were treated with i nterferon and following treatment, significant elevation of Na+, K+ AT Pase activity was seen in patients with HCV (n = 8; 0.183 +/- 0.044; P = 0.049) and HBV (n = 10, 0.213 +/- 0.095, P = 0.0069) infections whe n compared with the pre-treatment values (n = 8; 0.152 +/- 0.050) and (n = 10, 0.131 +/- 0.083), respectively. Normalization of serum alanin amino transferase levels (ALT) at treatment cessation was seen in 8 o f 10 (%80) HBV infected patients of whom 2 of 8 (%25) had sustained AL T responses within three months after the end of treatment. In HCV inf ected patients 1 of 8 (%12.5) had sustained response following treatme nt. At the end of treatment, although Na+, K+ ATPase was restored in b oth of the patients groups, relative changes in enzyme activity in rel ation to relative reduction in ALT levels as a response to IFN therapy were not correlated.