title: Hepatitis G and C viruses respond to interferon-alpha with different virologic kinetics.
abstract: The aim of this work was to specify the time course of response to interferon (IFN) of hepatitis G virus (HGV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in coinfected individuals. A group of 33 patients, undergoing 12 months of IFN therapy for chronic hepatitis C, was screened for the presence of both HGV and HCV RNAs to select seven coinfected patients. Spontaneous recovery from HGV infection was excluded through the detection of antibodies to the envelope-2 protein of HGV and HCV isolates were genotyped. Within three months of treatment, we found that HGV RNA was transiently cleared in 6/7 patients, but the rate of long-term favorable response was very low (1/7). In addition, considering the same individuals separately, it was shown that HGV and HCV responded to IFN with different kinetics in 5/7 patients. Taken together, these results underscore the importance of the virological basis of the resistance to IFN treatment.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Virologie, Faculté de Médecine, Nice, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: F X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Caroli-Bosc
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Laffont
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dantin
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lefebvre
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Doglio
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins