title: Antibody pattern's lack of predictivity in determining the response of viral hepatitis C to interferon therapy.
abstract: The aim of the study was to investigate whether the immunoblot pattern for HCV is a predictor of the response to interferon treatment. In a group of 60 patients with persistent rise of aminotransferase, all were treated with 3-6MU of Alfa-IFN from normal leucocytes every other day for 6 months, followed by one weekly dose of 1-3 MU for 3 months. HCV serum markers were detected before treatment and every three months thereafter. In 22 out of 60 (36.6%) patients aminotransferase normalized and remained so for 3 months after therapy; 12 patients (54.5%) relapsed during a follow-up of 9-12 months. The most frequent pattern in responders and non responders was the positivity to four antibodies (55%). The pattern did not change during or after IFN therapy, nor was it related to the variation of aminotransferases. Three patients lost antibodies linked to viral replication (c100-3, 5-1-1) and 3 others became positive to the same antigens. No changes were observed during the follow-up of patients who had an initial normalization of ALT/AST levels and who then relapsed (either during the maintenance dose or during the whole follow-up:n = 19 pts). Therefore neither the antibody clearance of viral replication (c100-3 and 5-1-1) nor the antibody pattern is a valid predictor as to the efficacy of interferon therapy.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Gastroenterologia, Università La Sapienza, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Berardo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gerardi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delle Monache
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Del Vecchio
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Ricci
mesh_terms: D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000502:physiology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D015415:Biomarkers; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D000637:Transaminases