PMID:
J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2007 Nov ;22(11):1894-7. PMID: 17914966
Abstract Title:
Effect of lactoferrin in patients with chronic hepatitis C: combination therapy with interferon and ribavirin.
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES: Lactoferrin has been reported to inhibit hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in cultured human hepatocytes and HCV viremia in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of combined triple therapy of lactoferrin, interferon and ribavirin in patients with CHC.METHODS: A total of 111 Japanese patients with CHC were randomly assigned to a lactoferrin group (n = 50) and a control group (n = 61). The lactoferrin group was treated with lactoferrin for 8 weeks and then with lactoferrin, interferon and ribavirin for 24 weeks; the control group was treated with interferon and ribavirin for 24 weeks. Serum anti-lactoferrin antibody, clinical and laboratory measurement were determined.RESULTS: The mean HCV RNA titer significantly decreased at the end of lactoferrin monotherapy. Sustained virological response to therapy was significantly higher (P
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