Loftis Jennifer M, Morasco Benjamin J, Menasco Daniel, Fuchs Dietmar, Strater Max, Hauser Peter
Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University; Research & Development Service, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Portland, Oregon, USA.
Open Infect Dis J. 2010 Jan 1;4:132-141. doi: 10.2174/1874279301004010132.
The role of serotonin in contributing to viral clearance has not been investigated in patients with chronic hepatitis C (HCV). In this prospective study we collected blood samples from 39 patients prior to and during antiviral therapy. Participants completed mood rating scales to monitor psychiatric symptoms, and serum serotonin and tryptophan levels were measured. Significant differences in serotonin levels were found between patients who achieved sustained viral responses (SVRs) and those who did not. Regression analysis revealed that serotonin was the only variable with a statistically significant relationship with antiviral therapy outcomes, even after controlling for other variables known to be associated with outcomes. Baseline serum serotonin levels, in combination with other variables such as degree of liver fibrosis, may be clinically useful for identifying patients in whom HCV can be cleared by antiviral therapy. Additional clinical predictors that could forecast treatment success are needed so that interventions to improve SVR rates, and reduce side effects, can be developed.
血清素在慢性丙型肝炎（HCV）患者病毒清除过程中的作用尚未得到研究。在这项前瞻性研究中，我们在抗病毒治疗前及治疗期间采集了39名患者的血样。参与者完成了情绪评定量表以监测精神症状，并检测了血清素和色氨酸水平。在实现持续病毒学应答（SVR）的患者与未实现的患者之间发现了血清素水平的显著差异。回归分析显示，即使在控制了其他已知与治疗结果相关的变量后，血清素仍是与抗病毒治疗结果具有统计学显著关系的唯一变量。基线血清素水平，与其他变量如肝纤维化程度相结合，可能在临床上有助于识别可通过抗病毒治疗清除HCV的患者。需要额外的能够预测治疗成功的临床预测指标，以便能够开发提高SVR率并减少副作用的干预措施。
