Viral load and clinicopathological features of chronic hepatitis C (1b) ina homogeneous patient population

Monitoring the progression of hepatitis C virus (HCV) includes clinical, bi ochemical, and histological parameters. Quantitation of viral load by rever se-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) may offer a more reliab le marker of disease status. Conflicting reports on viral titers may reflec t heterogeneity of patient population, mode of infection, and viral type/su btype. The aim of this study was to correlate quantitative serum viral load with alanine transaminase (ALT) and histological status in a homogenous po pulation. The study population consisted of 77 Rhesus-negative women with c hronic hepatitis C type Ib. Homogenous features of this study population in cluded: same defined source of infection (contaminated anti-D immunoglobuli n); same duration of disease (17 years at the time of study); same viral ty pe/subtype; same ethnic origin; all healthy child-bearing females at the ti me of infection; and an absence of competing risk factors for infectious an d other liver diseases. None of the patients had received antiviral treatme nt at the time of study. Liver biopsy was performed on all patients. All bi opsies were scored by a single histopathologist who was blinded to the clin ical and viral status of each patient. A weak, but statistically significan t, correlation (r(s) =.26; P <.05) between serum viral load and the degree of inflammation (mean value: 3.87 +/- 2.17 [SD]) was found. There was no si gnificant correlation between serum viral load and the degree of fibrosis ( mean value: 0.84 +/- 0.8 [SD]; P =.06), There was no significant correlatio n between serum viral load and ALT, although there was a correlation betwee n ALT and the degree of inflammation (r(s) =.241; P =.035).