N. Yuki et al., HEPATITIS-C BIOCHEMICAL REMISSION AND VIRAL REPLICATION IN HEMODIALYSIS-PATIENTS, Journal of medical virology, 48(3), 1996, pp. 242-246
The natural course of non-A, non-B (type C) hepatitis was studied in 6
2 haemodialysis patients. From the onset of the disease, serum alanine
aminotransferase levels were monitored monthly for 9-218 mon (median
115). After fluctuation of aminotransferase levels for 1-206 mon (medi
an 39), 57 (92%) patients showed normalization of these levels lasting
until the end of the follow-up, which was for >2 yr in 31 (50%) cases
and for >5 yr in 15 (24%) cases. At the end of follow-up, hepatitis C
viraemia was assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain react
ion (RT-PCR) and branched DNA (bDNA) assay. Viraemic levels were signi
ficantly lower in the 15 patients with normal aminotransferase for >5
yr (median RT-PCR+ve/bDNA-ve, range RT-PCR-ve to 10(6.7) Eq/mL) than i
n the 47 cases with normal levels for <5 yr (median 10(6.6), range RT-
PCR+ve/bDNA-ve to 10(7.6) Eq/mL) (P < 0.01). Moreover, a significant i
nverse relation was observed between viraemic levels and the duration
of aminotransferase normalization (r = -0.46, P < 0.01). These finding
s indicate that biochemical remission of hepatitis C may be frequent i
n haemodialysis patients and may be related to viral attenuation. (C)
1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.