title: Serial density analysis of hepatitis C virus particle populations in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with interferon-alpha.
abstract: In interferon treatment of chronic hepatitis C patients, the biochemical and virological responses mostly parallel each other. However, some patients who show persistent ALT normalization display continued viremia after cessation of therapy. High-density hepatitis C virus (HCV) particles, which are immune complex forms, are reported to be less infectious both in vitro and in vivo. To assess whether high-density HCV contributes to the response discrepancies and to clarify the association with patient outcome, sera were examined from chronic hepatitis C patients who were treated with interferon-alpha. This study included 10 sustained responders with viremia (SR + ve), 5 SR without viremia, 3 transient responders (TR), and 3 nonresponders (NR). The SR + ve patients were defined as those with continued ALT normalization and serum HCV-RNA positivity at 24 weeks after therapy completion. Serum samples obtained before and 24 weeks after therapy were ultracentrifuged on 35% sucrose. The ratio between high-density and low-density HCV was determined by quantification of HCV-RNA titers in the bottom and top fractions by competitive reverse transcription and by the polymerase chain reaction, and expressed as the bottom/top (B/T) ratio. The B/T ratios before therapy were 1:1 in all groups of patients, and 1:1 after therapy in TR and NR groups. Five out of 6 SR + ve patients who showed 1:1 ratio after therapy relapsed within 1 year. In contrast, all SR + ve patients whose ratios were 10-100:1 continued to show ALT normalization. These findings demonstrate that patients who have high-density HCV dominance after therapy show persistent ALT normalization despite viremia, which can be explained by predominance of the neutralized immune complex.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Medicine, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanto
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takehara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mita
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oshita
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fusamoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D013395:Sucrose; D014766:Viremia / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D013395:Sucrose; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase