High baseline serum levels of interleukin (IL)-23 can help to
identify hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B
patients who are likely to respond to pegylated interferon (PegIFN)
treatment, a Chinese study indicates.
Baseline serum levels of the
cytokines IL-23 and IL-17, which the researchers explain are implicated
in the development of chronic inflammation in chronic hepatitis B
patients, were significantly higher in the 72 HBeAg-positive chronic HBV
patients than in the 55 HBeAg-negative patients.
After a 48-week
course of PegIFN-α treatment and a follow-up period of equal length, 42
HBeAg-positive patients achieved HBeAg clearance and 40 showed a
reduction in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels of greater than 1
log10IU/mL.
Read more...Labels: interferon, interleukin (IL)-23, treatment response