Okuno H, Kitao Y, Takasu M, Kano H, Kunieda K, Seki T, Shiozaki Y, Sameshima Y
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan.
Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 1990;39(4):365-7. doi: 10.1007/BF00315411.
The depressant effect of interferon-alpha on drug metabolizing activity in the liver has been investigated in 12 patients with chronic active hepatitis B. 7-methoxy-coumarin (7-MC) O-demethylase and 7-ethoxycoumarin (7-EC) O-deethylase, in specimens obtained by liver biopsy, were measured before and after interferon treatment. 7-MC and 7-EC O-dealkylase activity were significantly reduced after interferon treatment, from 13.4 to 9.24 nmol.g-1 liver.min-1, and from 3.22 to 2.16 nmol.g-1 liver.min-1, respectively. The magnitude of the fall varied widely between individual patients. The study provides the first direct evidence that interferon-alpha can impair the activity of drug metabolizing enzymes in the human liver.
