The effects of interferon-beta on portal pressure and serum hepatic fibrotic markers in patients with hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis: An interim results

In this prospective cohort study, we evaluated the impacts of interferon-beta on portal pressure and serum hepatic fibrotic markers in 10 patients with compensated hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis. All patients were treated with 6 MU, daily for 2 weeks and 3 MU, 3 times weekly for 52 weeks. Patients were followed until 1 year after treatment discontinuation. Sustained virological response (SVR) was achieved in 2 patients. Hepatic venous pressure gradient dropped significantly from 17.5±11.8 mmHg to 12.4±4.3 mmHg at the end of treatment. Histological improvement were seen in the staging in 2 patients (from F4 to F3) and in the activity grading in 5 patients. All serum hepatic fibrotic markers (hyaluronic acid, Type III procollagen-N-peptide, type IV collagen, Transforming growth factor-β1) improved significantly during treatment. However, they deteriorated after treatment discontinuation in non-SVR patients. In contrast, these parameters were stable in SVR patients after treatment discontinuation. In conclusion, interferon-beta decreases portal pressure and improves serum hepatic fibrotic markers in patients with compensated hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis. However, these favorable effects diminish after treatment discontinuation in non-SVR patients.