Predictive factors for efficacy of interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis type C.
OBJECTIVE
It has recently become possible to quantify HCV-RNA in serum and to analyze the HCV-RNA genotype. In this study, we investigated the relationship among the response to interferon therapy, the HCV-RNA concentration, genotype and histological findings of the liver.


METHODS
Sixty-three patients with chronic hepatitis type C received interferon alfa therapy for 24 weeks. The HCV-RNA concentration in serum was measured semiquantitatively with reverse transcript semi-nested polymerase chain reaction and classified as negative to +3. HCV-RNA genotype was analyzed using a mixture of four type specific primers.


RESULTS
HCV-RNA concentration was significantly higher in patients with genotype II and CAH2B than genotype III, CPH and CAH2A (p < 0.05). At 24 weeks after the end of interferon therapy, HCV-RNA in serum disappeared in 24 of 63 patients (38%). Strong resistance to the therapy was noted in patients with both genotype II and a high concentration of HCV-RNA in serum (the efficacy was only 7%). Therapy efficacy decreased with the severity of liver histological findings, reaching only 20% in those with CAH2B.


CONCLUSIONS
Both the concentration and genotype of HCV-RNA seem to be important factors in determining the efficacy of interferon therapy.
Ishibashi
K
K
Department of Medicine, Osaka Koseinenkin Hospital, Japan.
Kashiwagi
T
T
Ito
A
A
Tanaka
Y
Y
Nagata
T
T
Tamaki
J
J
Azuma
M
M
Kishida
Y
Y
Yoshida
A
A
Hikiji
A Y
AY
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D016679:Genome, Viral; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects
D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral