title: Hepatitis C viremia in chronic liver disease: relationship to interferon-alpha or corticosteroid treatment.
abstract: We assessed the pattern of hepatitis C viremia in chronic liver disease by studying 100 hepatitis C virus antibody-positive patients: 48 with chronic hepatitis, 21 with cirrhosis and 31 with hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis. Serum hepatitis C virus RNA was detected by means of both the conventional nested polymerase chain reaction and a newly developed assay based on branched DNA that can also quantify viremia. Hepatitis C virus RNA was found in 94 of 100 patients with polymerase chain reaction and in 71 of 100 patients with branched-DNA (p < 0.001). Mean viremia level (x 10(3) genome equivalents/ml +/- S.D.), as assessed with the branched-DNA test, was 5,700 +/- 7,618 in the 48 patients with chronic hepatitis, 3,340 +/- 3,633 in the 21 patients with cirrhosis and 1,768 +/- 2,770 in the 31 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (p < 0.02). We also analyzed retrospectively the relationship between viremia and treatment. Fifty-five patients (41 chronic hepatitis, 14 cirrhosis) underwent interferon-alpha treatment. Mean viremia level was comparable among the 30 responders (5,644 +/- 8,207) and the 25 nonresponders (5,519 +/- 6,208) to interferon, but it was significantly lower (1,841 +/- 1,864) in the 12 of 30 responders (11 chronic hepatitis, 1 cirrhosis) who maintained remission up to 1 yr after cessation of interferon treatment. Fourteen patients (7 chronic hepatitis, 7 cirrhosis) with autoantibodies (12 antinuclear, 2 anti-liver-kidney microsomal) were treated with prednisone. The mean viremia level significantly increased after 3 mo of treatment, even in face of ALT decrease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Clinica Medica R, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Magrin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Craxi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fabiano
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Simonetti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fiorentino
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Diquattro
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Marco
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Loiacono
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Volpes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014766:Viremia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D011241:Prednisone