Treatment of hepatitis C virus carriers with persistently normal alanine aminotransferase levels with peginterferon α-2a and ribavirin: A multicentric study

Liver International

Volumn 29, Issue 10, 2009, Pages 1479-1484

  Puoti, Claudio ^a   Pellicelli, Adriano M ^b   Romano, Mario ^c   Mecenate, Fabrizio ^d   Guarisco, Riccardo ^a   Barbarini, Giorgio ^e   Mazzoni, Ettore ^f   Spilabotti, Lucia ^a   Bellis, Lia ^a   Paglia, Federica ^a   Barlattani, Angelo ^g   Picardi, Antonio ^h   Paffetti, Amerigo ⁱ   Bonaventura, Maria Elena ^j   Nosotti, Lorenzo ^k   Mitidieri, Olga ^a   Unto, Orlando Dell' ^a   Villani, Roberto ^b   Unto, Chiara Dell' ^a   Morrone, Aldo ^l   Soccorsi, Fabrizio ^b   more..

^a Marino Hospital Rome   (Italy)

^b Liver Unit   (Italy)

^c SANDRO PERTINI HOSPITAL   (Italy)

^d Villa Betania Hospital   (Italy)

^e FONDAZIONE IRCCS POLICLINICO SAN MATTEO   (Italy)

^f FONDAZIONE POLICLINICO UNIVERSITARIO A GEMELLI IRCCS   (Italy)

^g San Giacomo Hospital   (Italy)

^h UNIVERSITY CAMPUS BIO MEDICO   (Italy)

ⁱ SAPIENZA UNIVERSITY OF ROME   (Italy)

^j Rieti Hospital   (Italy)

^k SAN GALLICANO DERMATOLOGICAL INSTITUTE   (Italy)

^l ISTITUTO SUPERIORE DI SANITÀ   (Italy)

more..

Author keywords

Hepatitis C virus; Interferon; Normal ALT; Ribavirin

Indexed keywords

ALANINE AMINOTRANSFERASE; ANTINUCLEAR ANTIBODY; PEGINTERFERON ALPHA2A; RIBAVIRIN; VIRUS RNA;

ADULT; ALANINE AMINOTRANSFERASE BLOOD LEVEL; ANEMIA; ARTICLE; BODY MASS; CLINICAL TRIAL; CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL; CONTROLLED STUDY; DISEASE CLASSIFICATION; DRUG DOSE REDUCTION; FEMALE; GENOTYPE; HEPATITIS C; HEPATITIS C VIRUS; HEPATITIS C VIRUS 1; HEPATITIS C VIRUS 2; HEPATITIS C VIRUS 3; HUMAN; HUMAN TISSUE; LIVER CIRRHOSIS; LIVER FIBROSIS; MAJOR CLINICAL STUDY; MALE; MULTICENTER STUDY; SURVIVAL RATE; THYROID DISEASE; TREATMENT DURATION; VIRUS CARRIER; VIRUS LOAD;

ADULT; ALANINE TRANSAMINASE; ANTIVIRAL AGENTS; CARRIER STATE; DRUG THERAPY, COMBINATION; FEMALE; HEPATITIS C; HUMANS; INTERFERON ALFA-2A; LIVER; MALE; MIDDLE AGED; POLYETHYLENE GLYCOLS; RIBAVIRIN; RNA, VIRAL;

EID: 73349108458     PISSN: 14783223     EISSN: 14783231     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1478-3231.2009.02042.x     Document Type: Article

References (40)

1. Puoti C. HCV carriers with persistently normal aminotransferase levels: normal does not always mean healthy. J Hepatol 2003; 38: 529-32.
2. Alberti A, Morsica G, Chemello L, et al. Hepatitis C viraemia and liver disease in symptom-free individuals with anti-HCV. Lancet 1992; 340: 697-8.
3. Puoti C, Magrini A, Stati T, et al. Clinical, histological, and virological features of hepatitis C virus carriers with persistently normal or abnormal alanine transaminase levels. Hepatology 1997; 26: 1393-8.
4. Marcellin P, Levy S, Erlinger S. Therapy of hepatitis C: patients with normal aminotransferase levels. National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Panel Statement: Management of Hepatitis C. Hepatology 1997; 26(Suppl.): 133S-6S.
5. Tassopoulos N.C. Treatment in patients with normal ALT levels. EASL International Consensus Conference on Hepatitis C: Consensus Statement. J Hepatol 1999; 30: 956-61.
6. Puoti C, Castellacci R,Montagnese F, et al. Histological and virological features and follow up of hepatitis C virus carriers with normal aminotransferase levels: the Italian Prospective Study of the Asymptomatic C Carriers [ISACC]. J Hepatol 2002; 37: 117-23.
7. Pradat P, Alberti A, Poynard T, et al. Predictive value of ALT levels for histologic findings in chronic hepatitis C: a European Collaborative Study. Hepatology 2002; 36: 973-7.
8. Puoti C, Guido M, Mangia A, Persico M, Prati D. Clinical management of HCV carriers with normal aminotransferase levels. Dig Liver Dis 2003; 35: 362-9.
9. Bacon B.R. Treatment of patients with hepatitis C and normal serum aminotransferase levels. Proc. of the NIH Consensus Conference Management of Hepatitis C. Hepatology 2002; 36(Suppl.): S179-84.
10. Strader DB, Wright T, Thomas DL, Seef L.B. Diagnosis, management and treatment of hepatitis C. AASLD Practice Guideline. Hepatology 2004; 39: 1147-71.
11. Dienstag JL, McHutchison J.G. American Gastroenterological Association [AGA] Medical Position Statement on the Management of Hepatitis C. Gastroenterology 2006; 130: 225-64.
12. Puoti C, Castellacci R, Montagnese F. Hepatitis C virus carriers with normal aminotransferase levels: healthy people or true patients? Dig Liver Dis 2000; 32: 634-43.
13. Prati D, Taioli E, Zanella A, et al. Updated definitions of healthy ranges for serum alanine aminotransferase. Ann Intern Med 2002; 137: 1-10.
14. Martinot-Peignoux M, Boyer N, Cazals-Hatem D, et al. Perspective study of anti-hepatitis C virus-positive patients with persistently normal serum ALT with or without detectable serum HCV R.N.A. Hepatology 2001; 34: 1000-5.
15. Rumi MG, De Filippi F, La Vecchia C, et al. Hepatitis C reactivation in patients with chronic infection with genotypes 1b and 2c: a retrospective cohort study of 206 untreated patients. Gut 2005; 54: 402-6.
16. Persico M, Persico E, Suozzo R, et al. Natural history of hepatitis C virus carriers with persistently normal aminotransferase levels. Gastroenterology 2000; 118: 760-4.
17. Mathurin P,Moussali J, Cadranel JF, et al. Slow progression rate of fibrosis in hepatitis C virus patients with persistently normal alanine transaminase activity. Hepatology 1998; 27: 868-72.
18. Hui CK, Belaye T, Montegrande K, Wright T.L. A comparison in the progression of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C between persistently normal and elevated transaminase. J Hepatol 2003; 38: 511-7.
19. Puoti C, Bellis L, Martellino F, et al. Chronic hepatitis C and 'normal' ALT levels: treat the disease not the test. J Hepatol 2005; 43: 534-5.
20. Ghany MG, Kleiner DE, Alter H, et al. Progression of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C. Gastroenterology 2003; 124: 97-104.
21. Okanoue T, Makiyama A, Nakayama M, et al. A follow-up study to determine the value of liver biopsy and need for antiviral therapy for hepatitis C virus carriers with persistently normal serum aminotransferase. J Hepatol 2005; 43: 599-605.
22. Cividini A, Rebucci C, Silini E, Mondelli M.U. Is the natural history of HCV carriers with normal aminotransferase levels really benign? Gastroenterology 2001; 121: 1526-7.
23. Persico M, Palmentieri B, Coppola L, et al. Occurrence of HCC in asymptomatic HCV-related chronic hepatitis. Dig Dis Sci 2002; 11: 2407-10.
24. Puoti C, Bellis L, Martellino F, et al. Occurrence of HCC in an apparently healthy HCV carrier. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2005; 17: 1263-4.
25. Zeuzem S, Diago M, Gane E, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2a [40KD] and ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C and normal aminotransferase levels. Gastroenterology 2004; 127: 1724-32.
26. Snoeck E, Hadziyannis SJ, Puoti C, et al. Predicting efficacy and safety outcomes in patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1 and persistently 'normal' alanine aminotransferase levels treated with peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD) plus ribavirin. Liver Int 2008; 28: 61-71.
27. The French METAVIR Cooperative Study Group. Intraobserver and interobserver variations in liver biopsy interpretation in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Hepatology 1994; 20: 15-20.
28. Sangiovanni A, Morales R, Spinzi GC, et al. Interferon alfa treatment of HCV carriers with persistently normal aminotransferase levels: a pilot randomized controlled study. Hepatology 1998; 27: 853-6.
29. Van Thiel DH, Caraceni P, Molloy PJ, et al. Chronic hepatitis C in patients with normal or near normal alanine aminotransferase levels: the role of interferon alpha-2b therapy. J Hepatol 1995; 23: 503-8.
30. Orito E, Mizokami M, Suzuki K, et al. Interferon-alpha therapy for individuals with normal serum alanine aminotransferase levels before treatment. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 1997; 12: 58-61.
31. Nordoy I, Krarup HB, Bell H, et al. Interferon-alpha 2b therapy in low-activity hepatitis C: a pilot study. Scand J Gastroenterol 1997; 32: 1256-60.
32. Silverman AL, Piquette DL, Filipiak CL, et al. Alfa interferon treatment of hepatitis C virus RNA transferase positive patients with normal or near-normal alanine aminotransferase levels. Am J Gastroenterol 1997; 92: 1793-5.
33. Lee SS, Sherman M. Pilot study of interferon-alpha and ribavirin treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C and normal transaminase values. J Viral Hepat 2001; 8: 202-5.
34. Hui CK, Monto A, Belaye T, Lau E, Wright T.L. Outcomes of interferon a and ribavirin treatment for chronic hepatitis C in patients with normal serum aminotransferase. Gut 2003; 52: 1644-8.
35. Jacobson IM, Ahmed F, Russo MW, et al. Interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin for patients with chronic hepatitis C and normal A.L.T. Am J Gastroenterol 2004; 99: 1700-5.
36. Galossi A, Guarisco R, Bellis L, Puoti C. Extrahepatic manifestations of chronic HCV infection. J Gastrointest Liver Dis 2007; 16: 65-73.
37. Alberti A. Towards a more individualised management of HCV patients with initially or persistently normal alanine aminotransferase levels. J Hepatol 2005; 42: 266-74.
38. Hornberger J, Farci P, Prati D, et al. The economics of treating chronic hepatitis C patients with peginterferon a-2a (40 kDa) plus ribavirin presenting with persistently normal aminotransferase. J Viral Hepat 2006; 13: 377-86.
39. Zeuzem S, Alberti A, Rosenberg W, et al. Management of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection and 'normal' aminotransferase activity. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2006; 24: 1133-49.
40. Puoti C, Bellis L, Galossi A, et al. Antiviral treatment of HCV carriers with normal ALT. Mini Rev Med Chem 2008; 8: 150-2.