K. Yunomura et al., TYPE-SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES TO HEPATITIS-C VIRUS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C FOR PREDICTING RESPONSE TO INTERFERON-ALFA, HEPATOLOGY RESEARCH, 2(4), 1994, pp. 201-206
Type-specific antibodies were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorben
t assay with antigen probes deduced from the core gene of hepatitis C
virus (HCV) in 50 patients with chronic active hepatitis C who receive
d interferon alfa. Type 1 antibody was detected in 16 (50%) of 32 pati
ents infected with HCV of genotype II, and type 2 antibody in ten (56%
) of 18 patients infected with HCV of genotype III or IV. Type 1 antib
ody was not detectable in any patients infected with HCV of genotype I
II or IV, while type 2 antibody was not detected in any patients infec
ted with HCV of genotype II. Response to interferon occurred in six (3
8%) of 16 patients with type 1 antibody and eight (50%) of 16 without
who were infected with HCV of genotype II. It was achieved in nine (90
%) of ten patients with type 2 antibody and six (75%) of eight without
antibody who were infected with HCV of genotype III or IV. The rate o
f response to interferon in patients infected with HCV of genotype III
or IV (15/18 or 83%) was higher (P < 0.025) than that in patients inf
ected with HCV of genotype II (14/32 or 44%). The response was seen mu
ch more frequently (P < 0.025) in patients with type 2 antibody (9/10
or 90%) than that in those with type 1 antibody (6/16 or 38%). These r
esults indicate that determination of type-specific antibody to HCV wo
uld be useful for predicting response to interferon in patients with c
hronic hepatitis C.