Zinc supplementation enhances the response to interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

What Was Tested

This controlled clinical trial looks at Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc and Carnosine.

The researchers evaluated the synergistic effect of zinc supplementation on the response to interferon (IFN) therapy in patients with intractable chronic hepatitis C in a pilot study using natural IFN-alpha with or without zinc.

No clinical differences were observed between patients treated with IFN alone (n=40) and IFN with polaprezinc (IFN + Zn, n=35).

Who Took Part

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults and middle-aged adults, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a pilot study.

It is described as a pilot, a small early test of whether a larger Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc study would be practical.

What Was Measured

The researchers evaluated the synergistic effect of zinc supplementation on the response to interferon (IFN) therapy in patients with intractable chronic hepatitis C in a pilot study using natural IFN-alpha with or without zinc.

Complete response (CR) was defined as negative HCV RNA in the serum on PCR and normal aminotransferase level 6 months after therapy.

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Carnosine, DNA, Viral, Drug Synergism, Genotype, Hepacivirus, Hepatitis C, Chronic and Interferons.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a pilot study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc and Carnosine.

The publication is from 2001 (Journal of viral hepatitis), a journal based in England.

More context: the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc compound page and the Carnosine compound page, all human trials.