This study was conducted to clarify if the long-term notype is important clinically because it is one of the histological outcome among patients with chronic hepa-predictive markers of the response to interferon thertitis C differs according to whether they are infected apy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. 16,17 with genotype 1 or 2 hepatitis C virus (HCV). We examSeveral investigators have reported that the HCV ined 140 patients with chronic hepatitis C. The HCV ge-genotype is associated with the stage of type C chronic notype was determined by the enzyme-linked immuno-liver disease. 18,19 However, it has not been sufficiently sorbent assay (ELISA) based on genotypes 1 and 2 clarified whether the prognosis differs among hepatitis specific recombinant proteins; genotype 1 was found in C patients infected with different genotypes. In this 100 patients (96 were 1b and 4 were indeterminate) and study, we compared the long-term histological outcome genotype 2 in 36. The two groups showed no significant of chronic hepatitis in patients infected with HCV genodifference for any clinical background features. Deterioration of the grade of liver histology during the follow-up type 1 with that in patients infected with HCV genoperiod was seen in 68.0% of the patients with genotype 1 type 2 to clarify the difference of pathogenicity between as compared with 41.7% of those with genotype 2 (P these genotypes.õ .01). Similarly, the deterioration of the stage of liver histology was more common in the former group than PATIENTS AND METHODS in the latter (63.0% and 38.9%, respectively; P õ .05). The mean serum HCV-RNA titer was significantly higher inPatients. The subjects were 140 patients (100 men and 40 the patients with genotype 1 than in those with genotype women aged 18 to 59 years) selected from among a total of 758 2 (P õ .001), and multivariate analysis showed the titer patients with chronic hepatitis C who underwent histological was one of the independent factors of the deterioration examination of the liver between 1966 and 1988 at Shinshu of the stage (P Å .0044). This phenomenon may be related University Hospital. All patients meeting the following critein part to the difference in pathogenicity between the ria were included in this study: histological reexamination two HCV genotypes. In conclusion, our results suggest performed at least 5 years after the initial examination; that more severe progression of chronic hepatitis C is younger than 60 years of age at the time of the initial exami- titis B surface antigen, and antibody to human immunodefiAddress reprint requests to: Kendo Kiyosawa, M.D., The Second Departciency virus were measured using commercially available en-

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Products similar to non-enzymatic glycation end products are known to arise from the interactions between proteins and lipid peroxides in vitro. In this study, we assessed the effect of vitamin E, which possibly modifies lipid peroxide, on advanced glycation end products or similar products in vivo by measuring the fluorescence and thermal rupture time of tail tendon collagen in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The diabetic rats and non-diabetic rats were fed a vitamin E supplemented diet, and a control diet starting 3 days after the streptozotocin injection. After the 4-week treatment, the serum lipid peroxide levels expressed as thiobarbituric acid reactants in the diabetic rats on control diet (15.9 +/- 2.6 mumol/l[SEM]) were significantly (p less than 0.05) higher than in the non-diabetic rats (7.9 +/- 1.3 mumol/l on control diet and 3.3 +/- 0.4 mumol/l on supplemented diet), but the levels in the diabetic rats on supplemented diet (7.9 +/- 2.3 mumol/l) were reduced to the normal levels. No significant differences were found in serum glucose and glycated haemoglobin levels within the diabetic rats on control and supplemented diets. Both the fluorescence and thermal rupture time of collagen were significantly (p less than 0.05) increased in the diabetic rats on both diets compared with those in the corresponding non-diabetic rats. Although there was no significant difference in the collagen-linked fluorescence within the diabetic rats on control and supplemented diets, the thermal rupture time was significantly (p less than 0.01) shortened with supplemented diet (10.8 +/- 0.7 min on supplemented diet vs 15.0 +/- 0.7 min on control diet).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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