Effect of interferon administration on serum hepatitis C virus RNA in patients with chronic hepatitis C

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus RNA as detected by reverse transcription and nested polymerase chain reaction was monitored in 16 patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon. Hepatitis C virus RNA became undetectable after 4 to 8 wk of interferon administration in 13 of the 16 patients. During 6 mo of follow-up, 5 of the 13 patients who became negative for hepatitis C virus RNA after interferon administration remained negative, and all five continued to have normal ALT levels. Repeat liver biopsy in these five patients revealed histological improvement. Antibody to hepatitis C virus, which was initially positive in all treated patients, fell to undetectable levels in three of the five patients. In contrast, aminotransferase levels rose again in all eight patients who had become hepatitis C virus RNA negative but had again exhibited hepatitis C virus RNA after completion of therapy. In 16 untreated patients, hepatitis C virus RNA remained detectable. These results indicate that detection of hepatitis C virus RNA may be useful as a marker of viral replication in chronic hepatitis C; they also suggest that interferon should again be administered to patients who become hepatitis C virus RNA negative on treatment but again exhibit this marker of viral replication when treatment is stopped.

Efficacy and Changes of the Nonstructural 5A GENE by Prolonged Interferon Therapy for Patients with Hepatitis C Virus genotype 1b and a High Level of Serum HCV-RNA.

“…Currently, interferon (IFN) is the only drug that induces viral clearance and marked biochemical and histological improvement (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6). During IFN administration, the serum level of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNAwas negative by reverse transcription nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), in about 50-80%patients.…”

Effect of interferon therapy on hepatocellular carcinogenesis in patients with chronic hepatitis type C: A long-term observation study of 1,643 patients using statistical bias correction with proportional hazard analysis

“…According to our estimation of the carcinogenesis rates in untreated patients with chronic hepatitis C, 7 5-year, 10-year, and 15-year rates were 4.8%, 13.6%, and 26.0%, respectively. Because life expectancy of patients with HCV-related cirrhosis is largely influenced by development of HCC in the clinical course, and because an effective and truly curative therapy for HCC still remains limited at best, primary prevention of HCC in patients with chronic liver disease is of great importance.Interferon (IFN) is effective in eliminating HCV and in reducing serum alanine transaminase (ALT) in some patients with chronic hepatitis C. [8][9][10][11] The response to IFN therapy is related to factors including HCV subtype, serum concentration of HCV, IFN treatment schedule, and liver histology. 11-14 A Japanese trial of IFN for patients with HCV-related cirrhosis showed that IFN therapy decreased the HCC appearance rate through the disappearance of HCV RNA.…”

“…Interferon (IFN) is effective in eliminating HCV and in reducing serum alanine transaminase (ALT) in some patients with chronic hepatitis C. [8][9][10][11] The response to IFN therapy is related to factors including HCV subtype, serum concentration of HCV, IFN treatment schedule, and liver histology. [11][12][13][14] A Japanese trial of IFN for patients with HCV-related cirrhosis showed that IFN therapy decreased the HCC appearance rate through the disappearance of HCV RNA.…”

“…[11][12][13][14] A Japanese trial of IFN for patients with HCV-related cirrhosis showed that IFN therapy decreased the HCC appearance rate through the disappearance of HCV RNA. 15 However, there has been no report about the anticarcinogenic activity of IFN in patients with chronic hepatitis type C, comparing a large number of untreated patients.…”

Association of Amino Acid Sequence in the PKR-eIF2 Phosphorylation Homology Domain and Response to Interferon Therapy

“…[1][2][3][4] The only drug that effectively reduces the virus load is interferon (IFN), but complete eradication of the virus occurs in only some treated patients. [5][6][7][8] Currently, genotype 1b and a high virus titer are well-established predictive factors of a poor response to IFN. [9][10][11] Enomoto et al, 12,13 recently reported that amino-acid-sequence substitutions in a 40 amino acid stretch (codons 2209-2248) in the NS5A region of HCV genotype 1b are tightly associated with the outcome of IFN therapy, and designated this region as the IFN-sensitivity-determining-region (ISDR).…”