The kinetics of antibodies against hepatitis C virus may predict viral clearance in exposed hemophiliacs.
Several studies have reported the spontaneous loss of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies in HCV-exposed persons. However, the relationship between seroreversion and spontaneous virus clearance has yet to be precisely determined in a single homogeneous population of untreated immunocompetent patients. In this study, 32 human immunodeficiency virus-seronegative hemophiliacs who had been exposed to HCV were followed for a mean duration of 141 months; 22 remained chronic carriers (68.8%). All but 1 of the nonviremic patients (90.0%) showed partial (8 cases) or complete (2 cases) seroreversion. In contrast, all but 1 of the viremic patients (95.1%) had a stable serologic profile when analyzed by a recombinant immunoblot assay. The results indicate that any HCV antibody-positive immunocompetent patient with no detectable serum HCV RNA and normal alanine aminotransferase values and whose serial samples show a progressive decrease in the level of HCV antibodies present may be considered as having a resolved infection.
Laboratoire de Virologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Bretonneau, Tours, France.
P
P
Lanotte
F
F
Dubois
S
S
Le Pogam
C
C
Guerois
B
B
Fimbel
Y
Y
Bacq
Y
Y
Gruel
A
A
Goudeau
F
F
Barin
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications*; D002836:Hemophilia B / Q000150:complications*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000097:blood; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C084422:NS3 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases; C093542:NS4 protein, hepatitis C virus; C087036:NS-5 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase