Persistent hepatitis C viremia predicts late relapse after sustained response to interfeon-alpha in chronic hepatitis C

Article Abstract:

Patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who maintain normal liver functioning after treatment but who test positive for HCV at one year or less appear likely to relapse. Patients remaining virus-free at one year appear to be cured. Researchers periodically tested 107 patients who had maintained normal liver function for 12 months after hepatitis C treatment for the presence of HCV RNA in blood plasma. One-quarter of the group tested positive for HCV RNA, of whom half tested positive at the end of therapy and half became positive in the first year. All HCV-negative patients maintained normal liver function whereas 30% of the HCV-positive patients relapsed. The probability of relapse within four years was calculated to be 53% in patients testing positive within one year and 0% for patients remaining negative. The data suggest that all hepatitis C patients maintaining normal liver function should be tested at one year. Patients testing HCV-positive should be monitored for relapse.

Physiological aspects, Interferon alpha

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Assessment of hepatitis C viremia using molecular amplification technologies: correlations and clinical implications

Article Abstract:

The quantitative competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test may be more reliable measure of the amount of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in a patient while the branched-chain DNA (bDNA) test is most sensitive in the middle range of viremia and is quicker and easier to perform. Researchers performed bDNA and PCR tests on 19 patients with HCV receiving interferon therapy and 400 blood samples from either potential blood donors, patients receiving kidney dialysis, or patients with potential liver disease. The bDNA test most closely correlated with the PCR test at the mid-level range of infection. However, the PCR test was more than four times more accurate at both the low-level and high-level ranges of infection. They found up to 112% variation between bDNA test kits with repeat testing of the same sample. The patients with a negative bDNA test and positive PCR test during interferon treatment who discontinued the therapy experienced a relapse of the infection.

Usage, Measurement, Gene amplification, Viral load

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Hepatitis C virus infection in patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Article Abstract:

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may be linked to a higher incidence of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer. Researchers tested three groups for HCV: 120 patients with B-cell lymphoma, 154 with cancers of a different type, and 114 being treated for diseases other than cancer. Twenty-six (22%) in the first group tested positive for HCV, compared with 4.5% and 5.0% in the other two groups, respectively. The chronic presence of the virus may stimulate the overproduction of the B-cells. Further examination of this relationship is needed to determine its significance.

Health aspects, Risk factors, Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

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