title: [The factors associated with viral relapse after interferon treatment in chronic hepatitis C patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype, serum viral load and ALT levels, and the factors associated with the viral relapse after IFN treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
  
  
  METHODS
  The HCV RNA levels were determined with Cobas Amplicor Monitor Test, version 2.0, and HCV genotypes were examined by means of PCR products of 5' NTR digested with restriction endonucleases. The patients with chronic hepatitis C were treated with PEG-IFN alpha -2a and Roferon-A for 24 weeks. Those with a viral response after 24 week treatment were followed for an additional 24 weeks. The association of clinical characteristics, such as sex, age, the way of the HCV infection, IFN treatment history and platelet counts, and the HCV genotype, virus load and medicine used for the viral relapse after IFN treatment were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 208 chronic hepatitis C patients, the ALT levels were not related to HCV RNA levels (r = 0.093, P > 0.05). No difference of ALT levels between HCV genotypes was found, and the HCV RNA load was also of no difference between HCV genotype 1 patients and non 1 patients. Of the 119 patients with viral response after 24 week treatment, 58 cases (48.7%) relapsed after another 24 week's follow-up. Relapse was not significantly related to the clinical characteristics, such as sex, age, mode of the infection, treatment history of IFN, AST/ALT ratio, platelet counts and the baseline viral load. Among patients with genotype 1 virus, the relapse rate was significantly higher than those patients with non-genotype 1 virus (54.5% vs 32.1%, P=0.039). The relapse rate after PEG-IFN alpha -2a treatment was lower than that of Roferon-A treatment (47.0% vs. 52.8%), but not significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The viral relapse of chronic hepatitis C patients after IFN treatment was significantly associated with the genotypes of the HCV.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Ditan Hospital, Beijing 100011, China.
authors.forename: Lie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Ming-hui
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dao-zhen
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhi-meng
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Kang-xian
authors.initials: KX
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Ji-dong
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Yu-ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gui-zhen
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Shu-lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Da-zhi
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / 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; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins