Low cell binding ability of HCV is closely related to interferon treatment especially in patients with HCV genotype 2a/2b. A large series prospective study on Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C.
OBJECTIVE
We have previously shown that the quantity of antibody-free virion in the pre-treatment sera of the patients with chronic hepatitis C is a good predictive factor for the efficacy of interferon treatment. However, the biological significance of the free virion should be verified by a prospective study.


METHODS
We prospectively evaluated 152 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C who received a standardized interferon treatment, and analyzed the free virion and the binding titers, the ability of hepatitis C virus (HCV) to bind to the human lymphocytic cell line.


RESULTS
Sixty-five patients achieved a long-term sustained remission, 76 patients did not respond to the interferon therapy, and 11 patients dropped out. The sera from the patients with genotype 2a/2b had significantly lower free virion and cell binding titers than those with genotype 1b. A multivariate analysis showed three independent variables associated with the interferon response; cell binding titer <10(0.5)/ml, viral load <10(4.5) copies/50 microl, and genotype 2a/2b with odds ratios of 14.6, 11.8, and 9.8, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The low level of in vitro cell binding ability of HCV helped to clarify the good responsiveness to interferon observed in patients especially with a high viral load of genotype 2a/2b.
Kimura
Y
Y
Department of Virology, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan.
Hayashida
K
K
Yanagi
Y
Y
Ishibashi
H
H
Akazawa
K
K
Niho
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood
D012367:RNA, Viral