PMID: 9646218Jun 1, 1997Paper

Complete eradication of hepatitis C virus after interferon treatment for chronic hepatitis C

Italian Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
M S De MitriE Pisi

Abstract

Alpha-interferon therapy can lead to a persistent biochemical response, but discordant opinions have been expressed on the definition of sustained response and on the real possibility of complete eradication of hepatitis C virus (HCV). To define the clinical, virological and histologic profiles of the patients with sustained response. Twenty-eight patients with three different biochemical and virological patterns of response to interferon therapy (16 sustained responders, 6 responders with relapse and 6 non responders) were studied for a follow-up period of 36 months. HCV-RNA sequences were investigated in serum, peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in liver tissue by means of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, targeted to the 5' non coding region. Viral load in serum was quantified by branched-DNA signal amplification. HCV genotypes were evaluated using a line probe assay. All sustained responders showed persistent normal ALT values and loss of serum HCV-RNA during the treatment and in the entire follow-up period. The HCV clearance was also demonstrated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in liver tissue. Pre-treatment HCV-RNA quantitation showed that sustained responders had a significantly lower viral l...Continue Reading

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