title: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2a has a better virologic response to antiviral therapy than HCV genotype 1b.
abstract: The standard treatment, pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV), for patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC), does not provide a sustained virologic response (SVR) in a large majority of patients. In the present study, 211 treatment-naïve patients with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1b and 2a were recruited and treated weekly with PEG-IFN plus RBV to determine the response of HCV genotype 1b and 2a patients to standard antiviral treatment. Virologic responses were assessed by TaqMan at week 4, 12, 24, 48 and 24 weeks of treatment. Patients with HCV genotype 2a had a significantly higher rapid virologic response (RVR), early virologic response, end-of-treatment response and SVR, and a lower relapse rate than patients with HCV genotype 1b. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the HCV genotype 2a patients had a HCV RNA level ≤ 5.70 log10 IU/ml, a fibrosis stage < S3, and that HLA-A02 expression and RVR were independent factors of SVR that may improve HCV clearance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China ; Biotherapy Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China ; School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Infections, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Zhiqin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Infections, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Hongyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Dongli
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.affiliation: Department of Infections, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Infections, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Xiaogang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Infections, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Shuhuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Jiansheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: Hepatitis C virus; genotype; pegylated interferon; sustained virologic response