Quantitation of hepatic hepatitis C virus RNA in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Relationship with severity of disease, viral genotype and response to treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the correlation between hepatic hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and histological lesions, viral genotype or response to alpha interferon therapy.


METHODS
Forty-three patients with chronic hepatitis C (14 sustained responders (SR) and 29 non-sustained responders (NSR)) were studied. A liver tissue sample was obtained before and 1 year after treatment. Quantitation of hepatic HCV-RNA was performed by competitive PCR.


RESULTS
Before treatment, HCV-RNA was detectable in all liver samples. There was no association between hepatic HCV-RNA and the severity of liver lesions. There was a significant association between old age and hepatic HCV-RNA (P = 0.03). There was an association, at the limit of significance, between genotype 1 and high hepatic HCV-RNA amounts (15 x 106 and 4.1 x 10(6) copies/g, P = 0.05). Pre-treatment hepatic HCV-RNA amounts were lower in SRs than in others (0.65 x 10(6) and 13.2 x 10(6) copies/g, P = 0.0002). After treatment, no liver HCV-RNA was detectable in the SRs while in the NSRs, the HCV-RNA amounts were unchanged.


CONCLUSIONS
The amount of hepatic HCV-RNA is correlated to genotype and response to interferon therapy but not to histologic lesions. Hepatic HCV-RNA clearance is observed in SRs, suggesting viral eradication.
Gervais
A
A
Service d'Hépatologie, Centre de Recherche Claude Bernard sur les Hépatites Virales, Hĵpital Beaujon AP-HP, Clichy, France.
Martinot
M
M
Boyer
N
N
Auperin
A
A
Le Breton
W
W
Degott
C
C
Valla
D
D
Marcellin
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*
D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase