title: Anti-rods/rings autoantibody seropositivity does not affect response to telaprevir treatment for chronic hepatitis C infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Autoantibodies to intracellular 'rods and rings' structures (anti-rods/rings or anti-RR) are strongly associated with hepatitis C (HCV) patients treated with interferon-α/ribavirin (IFN/RBV) and are linked with non-responsiveness to IFN/RBV or relapse, especially in Italian patients. This is the first study to determine whether there is any correlation of anti-RR with non-responsiveness to IFN/RBV treatment in patients also treated with telaprevir (TPV), one of several new therapies for chronic HCV recently implemented.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 2013 to 2014, 52 HCV-infected patients were treated with IFN/RBV and TPV at five Italian clinics. Patient sera were collected and analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence for the presence of anti-RR antibodies. Patients were classified as anti-RR positive or anti-RR negative, and then various biological and clinical variables were analyzed to compare the two groups, including gender, age, HCV genotype, previous IFN/RBV treatment, and IFN/RBV/TPV treatment outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of these 52 HCV patients treated with IFN/RBV/TPV, 10/32 (31%) who previously received IFN/RBV were anti-RR positive, compared to 0 of 20 treatment-naïve patients. Anti-RR-positive patients relapsed more than anti-RR-negative patients (3/10, 30% vs. 2/42, 5%; p < 0.05). However, zero anti-RR-positive patients were non-responsive, and frequencies of sustained virological response were similar (anti-RR positive: 7/10, 70% vs. anti-RR negative: 33/42, 79%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, the data suggest that anti-RR seropositivity is not associated with resistance to TPV treatment in this patient cohort, but monitoring anti-RR-positive patients for relapse within the first 6 months after treatment may be useful.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida, 1395 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0424, USA.
authors.forename: S John
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Calise
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Patologia Clinica, Ospedale San Antonio, Tolmezzo, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bizzaro
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida, 1395 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0424, USA.
authors.forename: Thuy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Microbiologia e Virologia, Ospedale Santa Chiara, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Danila
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bassetti
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Biotecnologie Mediche, UOC Laboratorio Patologia Clinica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, Università degli Studi di Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Brunetta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Porcelli
authors.affiliation: UOC Malattie Infettive ed Epatologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Almi
authors.affiliation: Medicina di Laboratorio, Ospedale Regionale, Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barberio
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giampaola
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nursing, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida, 1395 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0424, USA. echan@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Edward K L
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Chan
keywords: Direct-acting antivirals; Inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase; Interferon-α; Ribavirin; Rods and rings; Telaprevir