title: Prediction of relapse after interferon therapy in hepatitis C virus-infected patients by the use of triple assay.
abstract: METHODS
  In recent years, several tests have been used as predictive factors for relapse after the end of interferon therapy of chronic hepatitis C carriers. Serum hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA has proved insensitive for predicting relapse because more than 50% of patients with undetectable reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) levels of HCV at the end of therapy become positive for viral RNA after interferon withdrawal. The detection of a minus RNA strand of HCV in liver also failed to efficiently predict relapses in chronic hepatitis patients. Furthermore, the use of a whole blood assay of HCV-RNA has been controversial. We used a triple assay comprised of RT-PCR tests for the detection of HCV-RNA plus strand in serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), together with testing for the minus strand in PBMC for prediction of relapse after interferon + ribavirin combination therapy in 45 patients with chronic hepatitis C.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The only four patients with a negative triple assay had no relapse 1 year after the end of therapy. In contrast, two-thirds of the 12 patients who tested negative for viral RNA in serum at the end of therapy relapsed 1 year later.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that the absence of both minus and plus strands in patients who tested negative for serum PCR may indicate the total eradication of HCV.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Biomedical Technology and Human Genetics, National Research Center, Giza and Tropical Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mostafa K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: El-Awady
authors.forename: Mohamed M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Abdel Rahman
authors.forename: Somayia M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.forename: Khalda S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Amr
authors.forename: Moataza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Omran
authors.forename: Sabry A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mohamed
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009000:Monocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012008:Recurrence; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014766:Viremia / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins