Clinical significance of antibodies to nonstructural and core proteins of hepatitis C virus in posttransfusion hepatitis patients during long-term follow-up.
To clarify the long-term clinical significance, antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV) was examined using core (p22) and nonstructural (C100-3) protein assays in sera of 18 patients with non-A,non-B posttransfusion hepatitis (PTH-NANB) who were selected retrospectively. Each patient had been followed for more than 5 years after the development of the disease. They were divided into three groups according to clinical outcome: acute hepatitis that resolved within 1 year, group 1 (n = 3); chronic hepatitis that resolved within 1-4 years, group 2 (n = 4); and chronic hepatitis that persisted for 5 years or longer, group 3 (n = 11). Sixteen of the 18 were positive for anti-C100-3 and anti-p22, one was positive for anti-p22 alone, and one was negative for both. In ten of the 16 (62.5%), anti-p22 appeared before anti-C100-3. The anti-C100-3 titer peaked about 12 months after disease onset in all cases and thereafter declined gradually, finally becoming negative in groups 1 and 2, while the titer fluctuated in group 3. The mean titer in group 3 at 12 months (69.2 units) significantly exceeded that of groups 1 (4 units) and 2 (8.2 units). Group 1 was seronegative for HCV antibodies and HCV RNA at the last examination, suggesting the cessation of HCV replication. Group 3 remained positive for those markers, indicating the continued replication of HCV.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Tanaka
E
E
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
Kiyosawa
K
K
Nakatsuji
Y
Y
Inoue
Y
Y
Miyamura
T
T
Chiba
J
J
Furuta
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000276:immunology
D000956:Antigens, Viral; C064544:C100 protein, hepatitis C virus; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C499352:core protein p22, Hepatitis C virus; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus