The effects of chronic hepatitis C and B virus infections on liver reducedand oxidized glutathione concentrations

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of hepatitis B and C viru s infections on liver glutathione status. Reduced and oxidized glutathione levels were determined in liver biopsy specimens obtained from patients wit h chronic liver disease including chronic active hepatitis and cirrhosis. I n patients with hepatitis B virus infections, GSH and GSH/GSSG levels were significantly low compared with those in controls (P < 0.01). There was a s ignificant negative correlation between histological activity indices (HAI) and hepatic GSSG levels only in patients with chronic HCV infection (P < 0 .01; r = -0.895). In addition to this, we also found a positive correlation between indices (HAI) and GSPI/GSSG of the same group (r = 0.915; P < 0.05 ). These observations suggest that HBV and HCV infections have different ef fects on liver glutathione status based on diverse mechanisms. (C) 2000 Els evier Science Ireland Ltd, All rights reserved.