Histamine dihydrochloride: actions and efficacy in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection

Abstract

The host immune response, in addition to viral factors, is the critical determinant of the pathological consequences of hepatitis C virus infection. Current therapies for genotype 1 are unsuccessful in a substantial number of patients. Histamine dihydrochloride by virtue of its histamine H₂ agonistic activity, has the potential to prevent damage induced by oxidative stress in tissues and can protect T and natural killer lymphocytes from oxygen radical-induced functional inhibition and apoptosis, thereby, potentiating interferon-α-induced activation of these cells. Coadministration of histamine dihydrochloride and interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus infection was tested in several clinical trials. However, conflicting data and the relatively small numbers of patients enrolled, suggest that this combination should be the focus of further investigation.

Keywords::

• hepatitis C virus
• histamine
• treatment