Matrix-derived serum markers in monitoring liver fibrosis in children with chronic hepatitis B treated with interferon alpha

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the group of children with chronic hepatitis B

Data of the patients	Mean	SD	Minimum	Maximum
Age (yr)	8	3.51	4	16
HBV infection (mo)	44	30	10	144
ALT (nkat/L)	1600	1567	350	9902
AST (nkat/L)	1367	1117	567	7718
GGT (nkat/L)	250	150	50	1150
Bilirubin (μmol/L)	8.5	4.3	3.4	23.9
Albumin (g/L)	65.6	4.2	57.2	74.3
Hyaluronan (μg/L)	34.3	21.5	14.6	113.5
Tenascin (μg/L)	748.8	265.9	295.6	1480.2
TIMP-1(μg/L)	558.1	121.2	342.2	852.3
Collagen VI (μg/L)	5.8	2.2	2.3	14.2
Staging	2.0	0.6	1	3
Grading	1.6	0.7	1	3

Normal ranges: AST: 167-667 nkat/L; ALT: 167-667 nkat/L; GGT: 150-583 nkat/L; Bilirubin: 1.7-18.8 μmol/L; Albumin: 58.8-69.6 g/L.

Table 2 Effect of IFN alpha on serum fibrosis markers in children with chronic hepatitis B (mean±SD)

Patients	Marker(μg/L)	Before IFN(1)	After IFN(2)	12 mo after IFN (3)	P1 vs 2	P1 vs 3	P2 vs 3
All n = 47	TIMP-1	558.1 ± 121.2	569.2 ± 134.8	636.9 ± 125.8	NS	b	NS
	CollagenVI	5.8 ± 2.2	6.2 ± 1.8	Nd	NS	-	-
	Tenascin	748.8 ± 266.0	641.5 ± 216.8	764.0 ± 250.0	b	NS	b
	Hyaluronan	34.3 ± 21.5	40.0 ± 30.9	28.7 ± 19.3	NS	b	b
Responders n = 20	TIMP-1	544.1 ± 120.3	555.4 ± 109.3	608.0 ± 134.9	NS	NS	NS
	CollagenVI	5.6 ± 1.85	6.7 ± 1.8	Nd	NS	-	-
	Tenascin	766.2 ± 289.9	686.2 ± 225.8	765.5 ± 249.9	NS	NS	NS
	Hyaluronan	40.3 ± 28.1	36.8 ± 18.0	30.7 ± 17.2	NS	a	a
Non Responders n = 27	TIMP-1	567.9 ± 123.1	581.2 ± 155.0	657.2 ± 118.3	NS	b	NS
	CollagenVI	6.0 ± 2.4	5.7 ± 1.7	Nd	NS	-	-
	Tenascin	736.6 ± 252.7	602.6 ± 205.6	762.9 ± 254.9	b	NS	b
	Hyaluronan	29.6 ± 13.6	42.7 ± 39.1	27.2 ± 20.9	NS	NS	b