摘要：美国的一项新研究显示，晚期丙型肝炎患者在治疗期间喝咖啡有助于提高治疗效果。
美国国家癌症研究所的一个小组在新一期美国学术期刊《胃肠病学》上报告说，该小组在小范围临床试验中发现，在接受“聚乙二醇干扰素”和抗病毒药“利巴韦林”治疗的丙肝患者当中，每天喝3杯或更多咖啡者，其治疗有效程度要比不喝咖啡者高1倍。
研究人员指出，以往的研究显示，喝咖啡与肝酶水平较低、慢性肝病进展减慢和肝细胞癌变率下降有关，这一效果不受种族、丙肝病毒含量、是否合并肝硬化和转氨酶水平等其他因素影响。但研究人员指出，喝咖啡产生这种效果的原因目前尚不清楚。
在研究中，科研人员利用丙型肝炎长期抗病毒治疗对抗肝硬化试验中的数据，对咖啡摄入量与病毒治疗应答之间的关联进行了研究。研究小组没有具体透露被研究者的人数，但指出上述发现还需得到更多科研数据的佐证。
丙型肝炎是一种严重慢性病，由丙肝病毒引起，主要传播途径为输血、血液透析、肾移植、静脉注射毒品、性传播、母婴传播等。丙型肝炎容易导致肝硬化，一些患者甚至会患肝癌。
生物探索推荐英文原文：
Coffee Consumption Is Associated With Response to Peginterferon and Ribavirin Therapy in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C
Background & Aims High-level coffee consumption has been associated with reduced progression of pre-existing liver diseases and lower risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, its relationship with therapy for hepatitis C virus infection has not been evaluated. Methods Patients (n = 885) from the lead-in phase of the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-Term Treatment Against Cirrhosis Trial recorded coffee intake before retreatment with peginterferon α-2a (180 μg/wk) and ribavirin (1000–1200 mg/day). We assessed patients for early virologic response (2 log10 reduction in level of hepatitis C virus RNA at week 12; n = 466), and undetectable hepatitis C virus RNA at weeks 20 (n = 320), 48 (end of treatment, n = 284), and 72 (sustained virologic response; n = 157). Results Median log10 drop from baseline to week 20 was 2.0 (interquartile range [IQR], 0.6–3.9) among nondrinkers and 4.0 (IQR, 2.1–4.7) among patients that drank 3 or more cups/day of coffee (P trend <.0001). After adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, sex, alcohol, cirrhosis, ratio of aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase, the IL28B polymorphism rs12979860, dose reduction of peginterferon, and other covariates, odds ratios for drinking 3 or more cups/day vs nondrinking were 2.0 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1–3.6; P trend = .004) for early virologic response, 2.1 (95% CI: 1.1–3.9; P trend = .005) for week 20 virologic response, 2.4 (95% CI: 1.3–4.6; P trend = .001) for end of treatment, and 1.8 (95% CI: 0.8–3.9; P trend = .034) for sustained virologic response. Conclusions High-level consumption of coffee (more than 3 cups per day) is an independent predictor of improved virologic response to peginterferon plus ribavirin in patients with hepatitis C.
