Porphyria cutanea tarda as a Predictor of Poor Response to Interferon Alfa Therapy in Chronic Hepatitis C

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology 2003-03, Vol.38 (3), p.314-319
• Main Authors: Fernández, I., Castellano, G., de Salamanca, R. E., Colina, F., de la Cámara, A. Gómez, Morán, M. J., Muñoz, R., Solís-Herruzo, J. A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Alanine Transaminase - blood; Alanine Transaminase - drug effects; Antiviral Agents - administration & dosage; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Chronic hepatitis; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Resistance, Viral - genetics; Drug Resistance, Viral - physiology; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Genotype; Hepacivirus - drug effects; Hepacivirus - genetics; Hepacivirus - metabolism; Hepatitis C, Chronic - drug therapy; Hepatitis C, Chronic - genetics; Hepatitis C, Chronic - virology; HFE gene mutations; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Interferon Type I - administration & dosage; Interferon Type I - therapeutic use; iron status; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neutropenia - chemically induced; Porphyria Cutanea Tarda - drug therapy; Porphyria Cutanea Tarda - genetics; Porphyria Cutanea Tarda - virology; Predictive Value of Tests; Recombinant Proteins; Retrospective Studies; RNA, Viral - blood; RNA, Viral - drug effects; RNA, Viral - genetics; Spain; Treatment Outcome; Viral diseases; Viral hepatitis; Viral Load
• ISSN: 0036-5521; 1502-7708
• DOI: 10.1080/00365520310000672a

Background: Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is sometimes associated with hepatitis C virus chronic infection. The aim of this study was to describe the effect of interferon alfa (IFN-a) in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C and PCT. Methods: We treated a total of 66 patients with chronic hepatitis C with IFN-a 2b (5 MU t.i.w.) for 12 months. Twenty-two of these patients suffered from PCT as well. These patients differed from patients without PCT in that they were men, past history of alcohol abuse and HFE gene mutations were more common and the source of infection was almost always unknown. Results: Sustained virologie response was obtained in 19.7% of the 66 treated patients, 27.3% in the non-PCT group and 4.5% in the PCT group (P < 0.05). This difference could not be ascribed to the difference in sex of patients, history of alcohol abuse, HCV genotype or iron status. Conclusion: Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that PCT is independently and significantly associated with non-sustained response to IFNa therapy. In conclusion, patients with chronic hepatitis C and PCT rarely responded to IFNa treatment.