Blood serum glutathione alpha s-transferase (alpha GST) activity during antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND: Glutathione transferases (GST) belong to enzymes involved primarily in the processes of detoxification of exo- and endogenous substances. Immunohistochemical studies have demonstrated that alpha-GST present in the liver is localized exclusively in hepatocytes. The activity of alpha-GST is reported to reflect interstitial liver damage better than that of aminotransferases, especially in patients with autoimmune hepatitis, and, according to some authors, also in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The GST system has also been proposed to be indirectly involved in hepatocellular damage due to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. THE AIM OF THE STUDY: Was to assess the utility of alpha-GST as an accessory marker in monitoring antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. MATERIAL/METHODS: 21 patients (12 males and 9 females) with chronic HCV infections were evaluated. The diagnosis was based on clinical presentation and detection of anti-HCV, as well as the presence of HCV-RNA in blood serum detected by PCR. Fifteen patients (group I) were treated with interferon alpha-2b (IFN alpha-2b) at 3 MU s.c. doses administered three times a week (tiw) and ribavirin at 0.8 do 1.2 g/day doses, whereas 6 remaining patients (Group II) were treated with IFN alpha-2b alone at 5 MU s.c. tiw doses. The activity of alpha GST was determined with ELISA before and after 6 months of treatment, together with assessment of HCV-RNA viremia determining the decision concerning continuation of the therapy. RESULTS: The results are presented in Table 1 as mean values +/- SD. *p, 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: Combined antiviral treatment with IFN alpha-2b and ribavirin, and IFN alpha-2b monotherapy reduce blood serum alpha-GST activity in patients with chronic hepatitis C. alpha-GST is less useful as a liver damage parameter than ALT in monitoring of antiviral treatment.