Evaluation of the Antiviral Effect of Interferon Therapy For Chronic Hepatitis C

Abstract

Among patients with chronic hepatitis C who had been treated with IFN, 14 responding patients with persistently normalized serum ALT levels for over 1 year and 14 non-responding patients with non-normalized ALT levels were randomly selected, and chronological changes in the presence of HCV-RNA in the serum as well as changes in titer of anti-ClOO-3, anti-KCL-163, anti-CP-9 and anti-CP-10 were investigated in these patients. Only 8 patients from the responders group became negative for HCV-RNA 12 months after termination of treatment. In responders, 10 out of 11 anti-C100-3 positive patients and 12 out of 13 anti-KLC-163 positive patients experienced reduction of the antibody titers to less than 25% of the pretreatment values during the period from 12 to 18 months after discontinuation of treatment. Moreover, in 7 out of those 8 responders who became negative for HCV-RNA, anti-CP-9 and anti-CP-10 titers were declined to less than 25% of the pretreatment values, while no significant change in anti-core titers was observed in responders who remained positive for HCV-RNA. On the other hand, no apparent change in each antibody titer was observed in non-responders. Above results indicate that changes in anti-core antibodies are accurately reflecting HCV-RNA status in the serum, and therefore these antibodies are considered to be useful in monitoring the antiviral effect of IFN. © 1992, The Japan Society of Hepatology. All rights reserved.