Therapeutic vaccine IC41 as late add-on to standard treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
We examined the effect of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) peptide vaccine IC41 on HCV-specific T-cell responses and virological relapse rates in patients with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection when added to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin standard therapy. 35 patients received 6 vaccinations with IC41 from weeks 28 to 48 of standard antiviral treatment and were followed-up for another 6 months. IC41 vaccination did not prevent HCV-RNA relapse in patients with ongoing interferon standard treatment but HCV-specific T-cell responses were inducible and were associated with lower relapse rates. An increase of HCV-specific T-cell responses occurred in 73% of patients, responses were more frequent and stronger in patients with sustained virologic response than in patients who relapsed. Optimized vaccine responses may enhance sustained virologic response rates obtained with standard treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
Wedemeyer
Heiner
H
Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endocrinology, Medical University of Hannover, Germany.
Schuller
Elisabeth
E
Schlaphoff
Verena
V
Stauber
Rudolf E
RE
Wiegand
Johannes
J
Schiefke
Ingolf
I
Firbas
Christa
C
Jilma
Bernd
B
Thursz
Mark
M
Zeuzem
Stefan
S
Hofmann
Wolf P
WP
Hinrichsen
Holger
H
Tauber
Erich
E
Manns
Michael P
MP
Klade
Christoph S
CS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
D022223:Vaccines, Subunit; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons