Relation between reactivity to the NS-4 region peptides of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and clinical features among patients infected with HCV genotype 1b.
Nearly all patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1b have reactivity to the core (c22-3) or non-structural (NS)-3 region (c33c) protein in a second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA-2). However, reactivities to the NS-4 region antigens (5-1-1, c100-3) vary among patients. To clarify whether differences in serological reactivities to the NS-4 antigens are associated with the clinical features or response to interferon (IFN) therapy of patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1b, we clinically investigated 115 such patients. Positive reactions to 5-1-1 and c100-3 were seen in 75.7 and 79.1%, respectively, of the patients. There were no differences between the patients with and those without antibodies to NS-4 region antigens (5-1-1, c100-3) with regard to age, duration of HCV infection, severity of liver disease and virus load. Fifty-one of the patients were treated with recombinant IFN-alpha, and 17 of the 51 patients showed sustained response to the therapy. The sustained response was more frequently seen in the patients positive for antibodies to both 5-1-1 and c100-3 as compared with those negative for either or both antibodies (41.0% vs. 8.3%, P<0.05).
Sakugawa
H
H
First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan. b987607@med.u-ryukyu.ac.jp
Nakasone
H
H
Nakayoshi
T
T
Kawakami
Y
Y
Kinjo
F
F
Saito
A
A
Nakayoshi
T
T
Yamashiro
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; C093542:NS4 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins