Quantitative measurement of serum hepatitis C virus(HCV) RNA is important
in predicting and monitoring interferon(IFN) therapy. We compared the sensitivity
of HCV RNA measurement of different HCV genotypes between two available
assays, Roche Monitor 1.0(v1.0) and Roche Monitor 2.0(v2.0). We also evaluated
serum level of HCV RNA as the predictors of a long-term response to IFN
therapy by distinguishing the complete responders(CR), partial responders(PR)
and non-responders(NR) for IFN therapy. We quantified the serum HCV RNA
levels in 151 patients and determined the genotypes ; 96(64%) with genotype
1b(1b), 42(28%) with genotype 2a(2a), and 6(4%) was not identified. The
relationship between the genotype and effects of IFN treatment was as follows
: 23CR(1b : 11, 2a : 9), 15PR(1b : 8, 2a : 7), 20NR(1b : 14, 2a : 6). The
RNA levels of 2a measured by v2.0 were significantly higher than those
by v1.0(pƒ0.05), although no significant difference was found in 1b between
two assays. By using v2.0, when the cut-off level was set at 200~103 IU/ml
before IFN therapy, CR was discriminated from PR, NR with a predicting
efficiency of 88%. HCV RNA levels before IFN therapy were significantly
lower in patients who became HCV RNA negative within 2 weeks than in patients
who did at 4 weeks or longer. These results suggest that v2.0 is more sensitive
and accurate than v1.0 for the quantification of 2a. Using v2.0 assay,
it was shown that low viral titre at pretreatment and loss of viraemia
within 2 weeks after treatment might be important markers for a long-term
response to IFN therapy, irrespective of viral genotype. The v2.0 assay
was found to be more useful in predicting effectiveness of IFN therapy.
[Rinsho Byori 50 : 392`397, 2002]
*Clinical Laboratories, Kobe University Hospital, Kobe 650-0017
yKey Wordszhepatitis C virus[HCV] RNA(C Œ^–«ŠÌ‰ŠƒEƒCƒ‹ƒX)Cgenotype(ˆâ“`ŽqŒ^)CinterferonFIFN(ƒCƒ“ƒ^[ƒtƒFƒƒ“)
Žó•t2001”N6ŒŽ11“úEŽó—2002”N1ŒŽ18“ú
*1`4,6,7_ŒË‘åŠwˆãŠw•”•‘®•a‰@’†‰›ŒŸ¸•”C*5“¯@“œ”A•a‘ãŽÓEÁ‰»ŠíEt‘Ÿ“à‰È(§650-0017
_ŒËŽs’†‰›‹æ“í’¬7-5-2)
E-mail :maril@med.kobe-u.ac.jp