Monitoring of serum levels of HCV RNA in early phase of IFN therapy; as a predictive marker of subsequent response.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the initial response to interferon (IFN) therapy predicts the long-term response, monitoring of HCV RNA level in the early phase of IFN therapy was performed.


METHODS
Sixty-seven patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were investigated. Patients received 6 MU of human lymphoblastoid IFN daily for 2 weeks and then three times weekly for 22 weeks (total dose; 480 U). These were 34 complete responders (CR) and 33 non-responders (NR). Serum levels of HCV RNA were assayed before therapy and at weeks 1 and 2, using the AMPLICOR HCV Monitor kit.


RESULTS
Serum levels of HCV RNA were below the detection limit in 33 (97.1%) of 34 CR compared with 13 (39.4%) of 33 NR at week 1, and in 100% of CR compared with 17 (51.5%) of NR at week 2 (P < P0.05). These observations were independent with viral genotypes.


CONCLUSIONS
A complete response to IFN therapy results primarily from a rapid decrease in the serum levels of HCV RNA and a further decrease to below the detection limit by week 2 of the therapy. In spite of a viral genotype, early monitoring of serum levels of HCV RNA during IFN therapy are predictive of a subsequent long-term response to IFN in patients with chronic HCV infection.
Yamakawa
Y
Y
Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
Sata
M
M
Suzuki
H
H
Tanaka
K
K
Tanaka
E
E
Noguchi
S
S
Ono
K
K
Tanikawa
K
K
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral