Isolated anti-HBc in chronic hepatitis C predicts a poor response to interferon treatment

• Published in: Journal of medical virology Vol. 65; no. 4; pp. 681 - 687
• Main Authors: Sagnelli, Evangelista, Coppola, Nicola, Scolastico, Carlo, Mogavero, Anna Rita, Stanzione, Maria, Filippini, Pietro, Felaco, Francesca Maria, Piccinino, Felice
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.12.2001; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Antiviral Agents - administration & dosage; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; chronic hepatitis therapy; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genotype; HBV silent infection; HCV genotypes; Hepacivirus - genetics; Hepacivirus - isolation & purification; Hepatitis B Antibodies - blood; Hepatitis C Antibodies - blood; Hepatitis C virus; Hepatitis C, Chronic - blood; Hepatitis C, Chronic - drug therapy; Hepatitis C, Chronic - virology; Humans; Injections, Subcutaneous; Interferon alpha-2; Interferon-alpha - administration & dosage; Interferon-alpha - therapeutic use; Male; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Polymerase Chain Reaction; predictive factors of response; Recombinant Proteins; RNA, Viral - analysis; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0146-6615; 1096-9071
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.2090

The sustained response to interferon‐α treatment was evaluated in 147 anti‐HCV/HCV‐RNA‐positive, HBsAg‐negative, chronic hepatitis patients, according to HCV genotypes and the presence or absence of anti‐HBs and anti‐HBc. These patients had been included in a controlled study on the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of three types of interferon‐α given at a dose of 3 MU three times weekly for 52 weeks. One hundred and two patients had HCV genotype 1, 42 a non‐1 HCV genotype and 3 multiple HCV genotypes; 46 were anti‐HBs and anti‐HBc negative (group A), 50 anti‐HBs and anti‐HBc positive (group B), and 51 anti‐HBs negative and anti‐HBc positive (“isolated” anti‐HBc, group C). Serum HBV‐DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction in 15 of the 51 (29.4%) patients in group C and in none of those in groups A or B. The Sustained Response rate was higher in patients with a non‐1 HCV genotype than those with HCV genotype 1 (31% vs. 17.7%, P > 0.1). Fewer patients in group C showed a sustained response than in group A or group B (7.8% vs. 30.4%, P = 0.009 and 7.8% vs 28%, P = 0.017, respectively). Moreover, the sustained response rate was high in patients with a non‐1 genotype, both in group A (42.8%) and in group B (42.8%), intermediate in patients with HCV genotype 1 (23.3% in group A and 22.2% in group B) and low in group C, irrespective of HCV genotype (8.3% for genotype 1 and 7.1% for other genotypes). The data indicate that patients with HCV chronic hepatitis and isolated anti‐HBc show a poor response to IFN‐α, irrespective of the HCV genotype. J. Med. Virol. 65:681–687, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.