Hepatitis C virus genotype 5: epidemiological characteristics and sensitivity to combination therapy with interferon-alpha plus ribavirin.
Twenty-six patients living in the Midi-Pyrenees region of France who were infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 5 were investigated. Most of these patients were of advanced age and had been infected nosocomially or by blood transfusion. Our case-control study, in which we treated patients with interferon- alpha plus ribavirin, indicated that, 24 weeks after the beginning of treatment, the virus response in patients infected with HCV genotype 5 was better than that in patients infected with HCV genotype 1 (100% of patients negative for detectable HCV RNA vs. 36.3%, respectively; P < .01); furthermore, 48 weeks after the end of treatment, the virus response in patients infected with HCV genotype 5 was better than that in patients infected with HCV genotype 1 (63.6% vs. 22.7%, respectively; P < .05) and was similar to that in patients infected with HCV genotype 2 or 3 (66.6%). These results show that HCV genotype 5 might have good intrinsic sensitivity to combination therapy with interferon- alpha plus ribavirin.
Legrand-Abravanel
F
F
Service de Virologie, Hopital Purpan, Centre Hospitalier Universitarie (CHU) Toulouse, France.
Sandres-Sauné
K
K
Barange
K
K
Alric
L
L
Moreau
J
J
Desmorat
P
P
Vinel
J P
JP
Izopet
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001483:Base Sequence; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012254:Ribavirin