title: Factors affecting serum concentrations of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in HCV genotype 1-infected patients with chronic hepatitis.
abstract: The serum concentration of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA is usually stable (4 to 8 log(10) IU/ml) in untreated patients with chronic hepatitis C. While this baseline HCV RNA concentration ([HCV RNA](BL)) is predictive of a sustained virologic response to treatment, its determinants are only partially identified. We therefore analyzed the baseline characteristics of 2,472 HCV genotype 1-infected patients to identify correlations with gender, age, race, weight, body mass index (BMI), HCV acquisition mode, HCV subtype, alanine aminotransferase concentration, or histopathologic changes in the liver. After separation of the data according to four [HCV RNA](BL) groups (< or =5.0, >5.0 to 5.6, >5.6 to 5.9, and >5.9 log(10) IU/ml), we determined that increasing [HCV RNA](BL) correlated (P < 0.05) with increasing proportions of patients who were male, >40 years of age, or heavier (a weight of >85 kg or a BMI of >27 kg/m(2)). Histologic activity index (HAI) data were available for 1,304 of these patients: increasing [HCV RNA](BL) correlated with higher fibrosis and necrosis-inflammation scores. As a continuous variable, [HCV RNA](BL) correlated with age, gender, weight (continuous or < or =85 versus >85 kg), BMI (continuous or < or =27 versus >27 kg/m(2)), subtype, fibrosis score, and necrosis-inflammation score; however, multiple-regression analysis yielded P values of <0.1 only for age, gender, BMI (< or =27 versus >27 kg/m(2)), and fibrosis score. While our findings are suggestive of a role for these factors in maintenance of the pretreatment state of HCV infection, the multiple-regression model accounted for only < or =4.6% of the [HCV RNA](BL) differences between individuals (R(2) = 0.046 for 1,304 patients with HAI scores; 0.043 for all 2,472 patients).
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Clinical Laboratories and Johns Hopkins Hospital Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA. jticehur@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ticehurst
authors.forename: Fayez M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Hamzeh
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000254:growth & development*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral