Table 3.
Haematological changes during inteferon treatment for chronic hepatitis C
| Parameter | Day 0 (pre-IFN) | Week 4 | Week 8 | Week 12 | End of therapy | Week 4 after therapy | Week 24 after therapy |
| Haemoglobin (mg/dl) | |||||||
| Group A | 15 (11.4–17.5) | 14.8 (12.5–16.8) | 15 (11.6–16) | 14.7 (12.1–17.5) | 14.7 (9.2–18.7) | 15 (10.4–16.7) | 14.4 (11.2–16.7) |
| Group B | 15.2 (11.9–17.4) | 13.7 (10.4–16.2) | 12.4 (9.7–15.9) | 11.95 (10.2–14.4) | 12.2 (9.9–14.7) | 12.9 (10.2–15.4) | 14.6 (11.2–17.9) |
| Group C | 15 (12.6–17.8) | 12.1 (8.8–15.9) | 12.3 (8.5–16.4) | 11.9 (9–16.6) | 11.4 (9–14.2) | 13.2 (9–15.9) | 14.2 (9.5–17.1) |
| Group D | 15.3 (12.7–18) | 12.7 (9.9–17.6) | 12.2 (9.4–16.3) | 12.3 (9.6–16.3) | 11.6 (10–16.3) | 14.1 (11.4–16.3) | 14.1 (11.7–16.8) |
| EPO (mIU/ml) | |||||||
| Group A | 8.1 (2.9–26.6) | 8.8 (6.2–14.1) | 8.4 (4.1–19.2) | 8 (4.2–15.6) | 9.2 (7–45.4) | 7.5 (4–51.4) | 7.7 (4–49.3) |
| Group B | 5.4 (0–55.5) | 11.8 (2.5–100.7) | 19.4 (2.5–65.2) | 22.3 (0–92) | 24.7 (0–158.1) | 19.9 (2.7–70.1) | 7 (0–46) |
| Group C | 5.3 (0–19.2) | 21.9 (0–91.6) | 26.9 (3.4–136.5) | 29.5 (4.4–198.3) | 33.1 (0–188.5) | 18.5 (3.6–89.9) | 7.7 (2.5–63.2) |
| Group D | 5.8 (2–51.7) | 20.8 (7.5–82.9) | 23.3 (11–87.5) | 25.6 (6.8–126.9) | 28.9 (9.5–200) | 8.3 (3.7–42.6) | 6.9 (3.1–12.3) |
| Reticulocytes (103/μl) | |||||||
| Group A | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Group B | 44.9 (22.4–133) | 58.3 (23.2–204) | 91.5 (28–188) | 84 (28.5–179) | 74.4 (26.6–149) | 66.9 (21.6–191) | 49.1 (30.7–142) |
| Group C | 43.7 (19.3–77.5) | 67.8 (24.8–273) | 56.4 (21.5–171) | 50.8 (20.4–236) | 42.5 (19.3–169) | 36.9 (13.7–92.9) | 49.9 (17.1–86.4) |
| Group D | 48 (15.8–94.5) | 70.9 (31.3–152) | 67 (26.5–158) | 63.1 (32.2–169) | 55.7 (14.5–127) | 32.7 (15.7–58.9) | 35.9 (19.4–73.3) |
| Platelets (103/μl) | |||||||
| Group A | 158 (42–307) | 132.5 (45–272) | 127 (42–225) | 129 (48–221) | 148 (32–308) | 186 (88–384) | 137 (38–299) |
| Group B | 177 (50–371) | 161 (91–294) | 162.5 (103–300) | 161 (108–362) | 172 (116–424) | 177 (111–377) | 199 (131–299) |
| Group C | 194 (105–277) | 136.5 (75–475) | 124 (74–258) | 129.5 (73–275) | 136 (80–259) | 172 (73–275) | 183 (128–350) |
| Group D | 188.5 (86–343) | 155 (80–290) | 148 (86–256) | 140 (72–306) | 153 (65–259) | 210 (64–421) | 198 (120–438) |
| TPO (pg/ml) | |||||||
| Group A | 95.2 (60.2–166.1) | 134.9 (59.3–217) | 131.4 (81.6–240) | 135 (46.6–295.1) | 182.7 (103.1–366.5) | 136.5 (75.3–219) | 134.4 (83.8–203.8) |
| Group B | 80.5 (0–211.6) | 98.6 (51.2–299.1) | 117.7 (41.7–308.8) | 139.8 (74.7–278.1) | 160.7 (36.1–334.8) | 148 (52.3–362.1) | 83.1 (31.2–215.3) |
| Group C | 72.4 (0–156.2) | 95.1 (0–246.6) | 130.2 (0–381.1) | 151.1 (50.1–355.9) | 170.1 (54.2–359) | 136.9 (53.9–362.4) | 87.3 (38.4–174.8) |
| Group D | 67.8 (40.6–157.3) | 115.7 (52.7–184.7) | 107.7 (67.9–214.7) | 155.5 (64.4–300.8) | 165.1 (75.1–392) | 131.4 (37.3–335.8) | 106.7 (50.9–162.2) |
| Leucocytes (103/μl) | |||||||
| Group A | 6.7 (3.5–10.5) | 5.4 (1.9–7.8) | 5 (2.2–6.7) | 4.6 (1.7–7.5) | 3.7 (1.9–9) | 6.1 (3.1–8.2) | 5.6 (2.6–12.4) |
| Group B | 5.5 (3.2–10.8) | 3.9 (1.3–10) | 3.4 (2–8.2) | 3.4 (2.1–6.8) | 3.3 (2.1–7.4) | 3.6 (2.3–6.4) | 6.1 (2.8–10.2) |
| Group C | 5.9 (3.5–12.1) | 2.8 (1.3–7.1) | 2.7 (1.6–7.8) | 2.7 (1.2–6.3) | 2.5 (1.6–4.8) | 4.3 (2.3–9.8) | 5.3 (3.3–9.6) |
| Group D | 6.5 (3.8–12.3) | 3.5 (1.9–5.9) | 3.4 (2–5.1) | 3.1 (1.7–7) | 3.2 (1.8–7.1) | 5.2 (1.9–13.2) | 6 (4.2–10.1) |
Values are medians (ranges).
Values in bold typeface indicate significant difference from pre-IFN treatment values (p<0.05, Wilcoxon matched pairs test).
IFN, interferon; EPO, erythropoietin; TPO, thrombopoietin.