title: Delayed viral clearance of chronic hepatitis C in patients after treatment failure.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection usually progresses to chronic hepatitis, with rare cases of spontaneous viral eradication. We present herein four cases involving patients that were initially declared to have failed to respond to treatments, based on the presence of HCV RNA that was still detectable after completion of the standard treatment for chronic hepatitis C with genotype 2. However, the HCV RNA became undetectable, with a delayed response, after discontinuation of therapy. Two of the four patients were diagnosed as treatment failures after extended treatment, and the other two received no further treatment after the standard treatment. All four patients maintained a sustained virological response during the periodic follow-up after delayed viral clearance.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors: Su Hyun
authors: SH
authors: Cho
authors: Sung Wook
authors: SW
authors: Lee
authors: Seok Reyol
authors: SR
authors: Choi
authors: Sang Young
authors: SY
authors: Han
authors: Myung Hwan
authors: MH
authors: Roh
authors: Jong Hoon
authors: JH
authors: Lee
authors: Jin Seok
authors: JS
authors: Jang
authors: Yang Hyun
authors: YH
authors: Baek
authors: Su Young
authors: SY
authors: Kim