Serum ferritin and hepatic glutathione concentrations in chronic hepatitisC patients related to the hepatitis C virus genotype

Background/Aims: Increased serum ferritin is thought to be responsible for activation of glutathione turnover in patients with chronic hepatitis C, Th e aim of the study was to evaluate a possible correlation between levels of serum ferritin and concentrations of hepatic, plasmatic and lymphocytic gl utathione in a selected cohort of chronic hepatitis C patients in relation to the hepatitis C virus genotype, Methods: The study considered 130 chronic hepatitis C patients and 23 contr ol subjects, Hepatic glutathione was determined from biopsy liver specimens by high performance liquid chromatography, Total Iron Score was assessed b y scoring iron separately within hepatocytes, sinusoidal cells and portal t racts. Blood samples mere tested for determination of serum ferritin, and p lasmatic and lymphocytic glutathione levels, Hepatic and erythocyte malonyl dialdehyde were also determined along with peripheral blood mononuclear cel l cytotoxic assay, Results: Patients with genotype 1b showed higher levels of serum ferritin c ompared to patients with genotype 2a/2c and 3a and to controls, along with a significant reduction of the concentrations of hepatic, plasmatic and lym phocytic glutathione and peripheral blood mononuclear cell cytotoxic activi ty, The levels of serum ferritin correlated significantly to Total Iron Sco re, to hepatic, plasmatic and lymphocytic glutathione, to hepatic and eryth rocyte malonyldialdehyde and to peripheral blood mononuclear cell cytotoxic activity, Conclusions: The levels of serum ferritin correlate significantly to lipope roxidation markers in chronic hepatitis C patients. The increased productio n of free radicals with a reduced peripheral blood mononuclear cell cytotox ic activity may represent, especially in patients with genotype 1b, a facto r underlying the resistance to interferon therapy and may influence the evo lution of the liver disease by enhancement of the cytopathic effect of hepa titis C virus.