[A long-term histological prognosis after IFN therapy for chronic hepatitis C]

In 72 chronic hepatitis C patients treated with IFN, liver biopsies were performed before and after IFN treatment, and histological changes were examined. In complete responders, the grading score improved significantly since 6-mo after IFN treatment, and the staging score improved significantly since 12-mo after IFN treatment. In long-term responders underwent a following liver biopsy 4-5 yr after IFN treatments; 5 had normal liver histology. In partial responders, both the grading and staging score did not improve significantly. But, in the cases who had sustained normalization of ALT levels after IFN treatment, both the grading and staging score improved after treatment. In non-responders, both the grading and staging score did not improve significantly.