title: Hepatitis C viral RNA status at two weeks of therapy predicts the eventual response.
abstract: We investigated the timing of the disappearance and reappearance of serum hepatitis C viral (HCV) RNA in patients with chronic hepatitis C during interferon treatment and follow-up. Serum samples were tested for HCV RNA by polymerase chain reaction in 62 patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon-alpha for 24 weeks. We found that 17 patients obtained complete response, with absence of serum HCV RNA for 6 months after the treatment. Twenty-nine patients had a partial response, with reappearance of serum HCV RNA within 6 months of follow-up, and 16 patients were nonresponders who were positive for serum HCV RNA throughout the observation period. HCV RNA disappeared within 2 weeks of treatment in 31 patients, including all 17 (100%) complete responders and 14 (48.3%) of the 29 partial responders. The patients remaining positive for HCV RNA at the second week were 15 (51.7%) of the 29 partial responders and the 16 nonresponders. In all of the 29 partial responders, viremia recurred within 1 month after the treatment. These results indicate that the status of HCV RNA at the second week of treatment is a useful predictor of effective treatment, whereas status at the first month after cessation of treatment is useful for assessing the effectiveness of interferon itself.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamaji
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Furusyo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sawayama
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kishihara
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Etoh
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kashiwagi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000187:drug effects; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral