Article

Loss of serum HCV RNA at week 4 of interferon-α therapy is associated with more favorable long-term response in patients with chronic hepatitis C

  1. Etsuro Orito1,
  2. Masashi Mizokami M.D., Ph.D.1,*,
  3. Kaoru Suzuki1,
  4. Ken-Ichi Ohba1,
  5. Tomoyoshi Ohno1,
  6. Masamiki Mori2,
  7. Katsuo Hayashi2,
  8. Koji Kato2,
  9. Shiro Iino3,
  10. Johnson Y. N. Lau4

Article first published online: 7 DEC 2005

DOI: 10.1002/jmv.1890460205

Issue

Journal of Medical Virology

Journal of Medical Virology

Volume 46, Issue 2, pages 109–115, June 1995

Additional Information

How to Cite

Orito, E., Mizokami, M., Suzuki, K., Ohba, K.-I., Ohno, T., Mori, M., Hayashi, K., Kato, K., Iino, S. and Lau, J. Y. N. (1995), Loss of serum HCV RNA at week 4 of interferon-α therapy is associated with more favorable long-term response in patients with chronic hepatitis C. J. Med. Virol., 46: 109–115. doi: 10.1002/jmv.1890460205

Author Information

  1. 1

    Second Department of Medicine, Nagoya City University Medical School, Nagoya

  2. 2

    Department of Medicine, Nagoya City Higashi General Hospital, Nagoya

  3. 3

    The Institute of Medical Science, St. Marianna University Medical School, Kawasaki, Japan

  4. 4

    Section of Hepatobiliary Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

*Second Department of Medicine, Nagoya City University Medical School, 1-1, Kawasumi, Mizuho, Nagoya 467, Japan

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 7 DEC 2005
  2. Article first published online: 7 DEC 2005
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 14 DEC 1994

Funded by

  • Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare
  • Viral Hepatitis Research Foundation of Japan
  • Research Career bevelopment Award from the Division of Sponsored Research, University of Florida, American Liver Foundation Hans Popper Liver Scholar Award
  • Glaxo Institute of Digestive Health Clinical Investigator Award

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Keywords:

  • HCV;
  • bDNA assay;
  • HCV sero-type;
  • Interferon

Abstract

To determine the virological factors associated with a favorable long-term response to interferon-α (IFN) therapy in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, 61 Japanese patients with chronic HCV infection were treated with IFN for 24 weeks (780 million units in total) and followed for 8 to 16 months after cessation of therapy. Ten patients dropped out because of severe side effects. Of the 51 patients who completed IFN therapy, 23 showed complete and sustained response (CR→SR), 13 complete response with early relapse (CR→Rel), and 15 no response to IFN (NR). For the pretreatment serum HCV RNA level, 20/23 who had CR→SR had <l06 eq/ml compared to 3/13 CR→Rel and 1/15 NR (P< 0.01). Serologically defined HCV type 2 infection was also associated with a better opportunity to develop CR→SR compared to CR→Rel of NR (P<0.01). Loss of serum HCV RNA at week 4 of IFN therapy was also associated with a more favorable long-term response [17/19 CR→SR were HCV RNA negative compared to 3/11 CR→Rel (P<0.01)and2/13NR(P<0.01)]. n contrast, normalization of serum alanine ami-notransferase (ALT) levels at week 4 was found in 9/19 CR→SR compared to 8/11 CR→Re1 (P= NS), and 0/13 in NR (P<0.01). Six months after cessation of IFN therapy, 3/25 CR→SR patients were HCV RNA positive despite normalization of serum ALT levels. These data indicated that in addition to pretreatment serum HCV RNA levels and HCV type, the kinetics of response to IFN (at week 4) were also predictive of subsequent long-term response to IFN in patients with chronic HCV infection. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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