title: The presence of non-organ-specific autoantibodies is associated with a negative response to combination therapy with interferon and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-organ-specific autoantibodies are found in a considerable number of anti-HCV positive patients. Previous studies investigated the clinical relevance of these antibodies in patients treated with interferon monotherapy, but not combination therapies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anti-nuclear, anti-smooth muscle, anti-mitochondrial, anti-neutrophil-cytoplasmatic and anti-liver/kidney microsomal antibodies were determined in 78 consecutive anti-HCV positive patients by indirect immunofluorescence. The presence of these antibodies was related to demographic variables and to the outcome of antiviral combination therapy with interferon-alpha and ribavirin in 65 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In our study, positivity for autoantibodies was associated with higher alanine aminotransferase levels and higher mean values for HCV-RNA (p < 0.01). Furthermore, negativity for non-organ-specific autoantibodies was associated with a favourable treatment outcome of combination therapy with at least one negative RT-PCR for HCV-RNA during treatment (OR 4.65, 95% CI 1.31 to 16.48, p = 0.02). ANA and SMA staining patterns and titers were not correlated to treatment response. With multiple logistic regression analysis, positivity for autoantibodies and HCV genotype were independently associated with outcome of antiviral combination therapy (p = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The absence of non-organ-specific autoantibodies might indicate a significantly higher chance for viral clearance in response to combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C infection. Therefore, despite of an overall higher treatment response, the addition of the immunomodulatory drug ribavirin could accentuate immunological differences that affect treatment outcome and might have been less obvious in earlier studies analysing interferon monotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Aachen (UKA), Aachen University (RWTH), Aachen, Germany. hwasmuth@ukaachen.de
authors.forename: Hermann E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Wasmuth
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stolte
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Geier
authors.forename: Christoph G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Dietrich
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gartung
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lorenzen
authors.forename: Siegfried
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matern
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lammert
mesh_terms: D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D001323:Autoantibodies; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons