Reduction in Hepatic Inflammation Is Associated With Less Fibrosis Progression and Fewer Clinical Outcomes in Advanced Hepatitis C (Actually this is a link from Nature - just could not access it in Nature. Again, this article just shows how effective the HP can be in reducing long term complications of Hep C and that too more quickly, and effeciently, then anything available in the market currently by decreasing the viral load significantly in a few days.)
Chihiro Morishima, Mitchell L Shiffman, Jules L Dienstag, Karen L Lindsay, Gyongyi Szabo, Gregory T Everson, Anna S Lok, Adrian M Di Bisceglie, Marc G Ghany, Deepa Naishadham, Timothy R Morgan, Elizabeth C Wright and for the HALT-C Trial Group15
Abstract
CONCLUSIONS:
Reduced hepatic inflammation (measured 1.5 and 3.5 years after randomization) was associated with profound virological suppression during lead-in treatment with full-dose peginterferon/ribavirin and with decreased fibrosis progression and clinical outcomes, independent of randomized treatment.
OBJECTIVES:
During the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-term Treatment against Cirrhosis Trial, 3.5 years of maintenance peginterferon-alfa-2a therapy did not affect liver fibrosis progression or clinical outcomes among 1,050 previous interferon nonresponders with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis. We investigated whether reduced hepatic inflammation was associated with clinical benefit in 834 patients with a baseline and follow-up biopsy 1.5 years after randomization to peginterferon or observation.
The American Journal of Gastroenterology , (12 June 2012) | doi:10.1038/ajg.2012.137
