Hepatitis C genotypes in haemophilic patients treated with alpha-interferon.
The effect of alpha-interferon on the hepatitis C genotypes was examined in 25 anti-HCV-positive haemophilic patients. The rate of multiple HCV genotypes in patients who are likely to have mixed infections was also studied. Pretreatment results showed that 3/25 (12%) patients had a change in genotypes, whereas posttreatment this rose to 10/25 (40%). Seven of 10 (70%) patients who showed a change in genotype had a clinical response to alpha-interferon. Six of 25 (24%) patients showed a complete clinical response to alpha-interferon, and the majority of these were either type 2 or 3. This study supports previous evidence that type 1 is less likely to respond to alpha-interferon, and that alpha-interferon may alter the concentrations of the various circulating genotypes present in multiply-infected patients. There are many difficulties in studying hepatitis C in haemophilic patients due to the sequence heterogeneity within each individual, and this study has shown that no ideal method exists as yet for looking at HCV genotypes in multiply-infected individuals.
Devereux
H
H
Haemphilia Centre, Royal Free Hospital and School of Medicine, London, UK.
Telfer
P
P
Dusheiko
G
G
Lee
C
C
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D005838:Genotype; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D013997:Time Factors
D016898:Interferon-alpha; D000410:Alanine Transaminase