Improvement of Molar Ratio of Branched-Chain Amino Acids to Tyrosine (BTR) Associated with Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients Treated with Interferon-α

The molar ratio of branched-chain amino acids(BCAA) to tyrosine (BTR), which has recently beenpossible to easily determine by an enzymatic method, canbe clinically used as a substitute for that of BCAA to aromatic amino acids (AAA). We used thismethod to investigate the diagnostic implications ofserum BTR in patients with chronic hepatitis C treatedwith interferon-α. There was a good correlation between BTR and staging (fibrosis) scores bothbefore and after treatment. BTR increased significantlyat 24 months after treatment in the responder group (P< 0.01). Moreover, a significant increase in BTR was observed in patients with improvedstaging (P = 0.015), but not grading(necroinflammatory), scores. BTR in chronic hepatitis Cpatients seems to be reflected by the extent of liverfibrosis, and, in the responder group, it can beimproved, together with liver fibrosis, byinterferon-α treatment.