Anti-envelope 1 and 2 immune response in chronic hepatitis C patients: Effects of hepatitis B virus co-infection and interferon treatment

✍ Scribed by Rosa Zampino; Aldo Marrone; Emanuele Durante Mangoni; Lucio Santarpia; Antonello Sica; Marie-Francoise Tripodi; Riccardo Utili; Giuseppe Ruggiero; Luigi Elio Adinolfi

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 68 KB
• Volume: 73
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0146-6615
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.20058

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Antibodies against envelope glycoprotein 1 and 2 (anti‐E1/E2) have been suggested to influence HCV replication levels. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) may interfere with hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication. At present there are no data on anti‐E1/E2 antibody responses or on the effect of interferon (IFN) treatment in HBV–HCV co‐infection. Accordingly, we evaluated serum anti‐E1/E2 antibodies in 50 patients (median age, 26.5; males, 30) with chronic hepatitis, 38 with HCV and 12 with HBV–HCV co‐infection, who had undergone α‐IFN treatment. Before starting IFN, the HCV group showed higher HCV‐RNA levels (bDNA assay) than the HBV–HCV group (median 3.75 vs. 0.64 × 10^6^ Eq/ml, respectively; P < 0.05). Similarly, the anti‐E2 levels (EIA assay) were higher in the HCV group than in the HBV–HCV (mean ± SD, 53.8 ± 54.58 vs. 24.5 ± 41.50 U/ml, respectively; P < 0.02), and the prevalence of anti‐E2 was also higher in the HCV group (94 vs. 58%, respectively; P < 0.007). No correlation was found between anti‐E1/E2 antibodies and the HCV‐RNA levels. The prevalence of E1/E2 antibodies was similar in the different HCV genotypes. Higher baseline levels of anti‐E2 antibodies and a decrease or disappearance of anti‐E2 antibodies during IFN were associated with IFN sustained response in both groups, whereas no reduction in the anti‐E1/E2 levels was observed in non‐responders. The data show that HBV co‐infection influences both HCV replication and the anti‐E1/E2 antibody production. High pre‐treatment levels of anti‐E2 antibodies and their decrease or disappearance during interferon treatment are often associated with HCV clearance in sustained responders, irrespective of the HCV genotype. J. Med. Virol. 73:33–37, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.