Abstract: Objective： To investigate the changes of liver tissue inhibitors metalloproteinases-1(TIMP-1) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) induced by alpha-interferon-2b plus ribavirin therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Methods： A total of 23 patients were enrolled in this study. All patients had received a 48-week interferon-alpha-2b plus ribavirin and had undergone virological follow-up for 24 weeks. In each patient, two liver biopsies had been performed: 1 week before treatment and 2 weeks after treatment. The patients were divided into two groups according to the viral response on 24 weeks after treatment: sustained viral response (SVR) group and non-SVR group. α-SMA and TIMP-1 in liver tissue were examined by immunohistochemical techniques and BI-2000 image-analysis system. Results： Posttreatment liver α-SMA and TIMP-1 were significantly lower than pretreatment scores(P＜0.05) in all patients. The groups between SVR and non-SVR were compatible in pretreatment results(P＞0.05). Posttreatment liver α-SMA and TIMP-1 were also significantly lower than pretreatment (P＜0.05) in SVR patients. But we did not found the same consequence in non-SVR patients(P＞0.05). There was a statistical difference between SVR and non-SVR patients in the changes of α-SMA and TIMP-1(P＜0.05). Conclusion： Interferon-alpha-2b plus ribavirin has the ability of anti-fibrosis by reducing the expression of liver α-SMA and TIMP-1. The liver fibrosis is improved significantly in patients receiving SVR, and no worsens in non-SVR patients.

Key words: Hepatitis C, chronic, Fibrosis, liver, Interferon-alfa-2b, Actins, Tissue-inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, Treatment outcome