Background: The prevalence of antinuclear antibody (ANA) and interferon (IFN)-induced ANA has been documented in patients with chronic hepatitis C. In the present study we evaluated whether the induction pattern of ANA after IFN therapy is related to the efficacy of IFN therapy.
Methods: Forty-four patients with chronic hepatitis C were enrolled. Autoimmune hepatitis was excluded in all. ANA was measured every month before, during, and for 6 months after IFN therapy (total dose, 336-480 M units).
Results: Eight of the 44 (18%) patients were positive for ANA before IFN therapy (group I). In group I six of the eight ANA-positive patients showed an increase in ANA titers during the therapy. Twenty-two of 36 (61%) ANA-negative patients turned positive for ANA, with titers of 1:80 or less during IFN therapy (group II). In 14 of the 36 (39%) ANA-negative patients ANA remained negative throughout the therapy (group III). The rates of sustained responders with a negativity of serum hepatitis C virus RNA and with normal alanine aminotransferase levels for at least 6 months after the cessation of therapy in groups I, II, and III were 25%, 23%, and 21%, respectively, giving no significant difference in the efficacy of therapy. No serious side effect was observed during the therapy.
Conclusions: Administration of IFN frequently produced an induction of ANA or an increase in its titer, which did not affect the efficacy of IFN therapy.