RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRETREATMENT VIREMIA LEVEL AND RESPONSE TO INTERFERON-ALPHA THERAPY IN CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C DIFFERS IN VIRAL TYPE-1 ANDTYPE-2 INFECTIONS
A. Tsubota et al., RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRETREATMENT VIREMIA LEVEL AND RESPONSE TO INTERFERON-ALPHA THERAPY IN CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C DIFFERS IN VIRAL TYPE-1 ANDTYPE-2 INFECTIONS, Digestive diseases and sciences, 41(10), 1996, pp. 1925-1932
To determine the contribution of virus-related factors to long-term re
mission of chronic hepatitis C infection, we analyzed viral type and v
iremia level in 185 patients who had undergone a six-month course of i
nterferon-alpha therapy. These virus-related factors were measured by
an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with use of viral type-specific a
ntigens and the branched DNA (bDNA) signal amplification assay, respec
tively. Sustained and long-term sustained responses were achieved in 5
5% and 50% of the patients, respectively. Transient or no responses we
re observed in 30% and 15% of the patients, respectively. Thirty-five
percent of viral type 1 patients and 82% of viral type 2 patients had
long-term sustained responses. Forty-two percent of bDNA-positive and
71% of bDNA-negative patients experienced long-term sustained response
s. On multivariate analysis, viral type, Knodell's intralobular score,
and viremia level were strong independent predictors of long-term sus
tained response (P < 0.0001, = 0.0060, and 0.037, respectively). Virem
ia level, however, was a significant predictor only in viral type 1, n
ot type 2, patients. The relation between pretreatment viremia level a
nd response to interferon-alpha therapy in chronic hepatitis C differs
in viral type 1 and 2 infections.