Anti-envelope 1 and 2 immune response in chronic hepatitis C patients: effects of hepatitis B virus co-infection and interferon treatment.
Antibodies against envelope glycoprotein 1 and 2 (anti-E1/E2) have been suggested to influence HCV replication levels. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) may interfere with hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication. At present there are no data on anti-E1/E2 antibody responses or on the effect of interferon (IFN) treatment in HBV-HCV co-infection. Accordingly, we evaluated serum anti-E1/E2 antibodies in 50 patients (median age, 26.5; males, 30) with chronic hepatitis, 38 with HCV and 12 with HBV-HCV co-infection, who had undergone alpha-IFN treatment. Before starting IFN, the HCV group showed higher HCV-RNA levels (bDNA assay) than the HBV-HCV group (median 3.75 vs. 0.64 x 10(6) Eq/ml, respectively; P < 0.05). Similarly, the anti-E2 levels (EIA assay) were higher in the HCV group than in the HBV-HCV (mean +/- SD, 53.8 +/- 54.58 vs. 24.5 +/- 41.50 U/ml, respectively; P < 0.02), and the prevalence of anti-E2 was also higher in the HCV group (94 vs. 58%, respectively; P < 0.007). No correlation was found between anti-E1/E2 antibodies and the HCV-RNA levels. The prevalence of E1/E2 antibodies was similar in the different HCV genotypes. Higher baseline levels of anti-E2 antibodies and a decrease or disappearance of anti-E2 antibodies during IFN were associated with IFN sustained response in both groups, whereas no reduction in the anti-E1/E2 levels was observed in non-responders. The data show that HBV co-infection influences both HCV replication and the anti-E1/E2 antibody production. High pre-treatment levels of anti-E2 antibodies and their decrease or disappearance during interferon treatment are often associated with HCV clearance in sustained responders, irrespective of the HCV genotype.
Zampino
Rosa
R
Division of Internal Medicine and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Marrone
Aldo
A
Durante Mangoni
Emanuele
E
Santarpia
Lucio
L
Sica
Antonello
A
Tripodi
Marie-Francoise
MF
Utili
Riccardo
R
Ruggiero
Giuseppe
G
Adinolfi
Luigi Elio
LE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014779:Virus Replication
D004279:DNA, Viral; C087035:E1 protein, Hepatitis C virus; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C091015:glycoprotein E2, Hepatitis C virus