Comparison of serum hepatitis C virus RNA concentration by branched DNA probe assay with competitive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction as a predictor of response to interferon-α therapy in chronic hepatitis C patients

✍ Scribed by Toyoda, Hidenori; Nakano, Satoshi; Kumada, Takashi; Takeda, Isao; Sugiyama, Keiichi; Osada, Toshimasa; Kiriyama, Seiki; Orito, Etsuro; Mizokami, Masashi

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 541 KB
• Volume: 48
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0146-6615
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9071(199604)48:4<354::aid-jmv9>3.0.co;2-6

✦ Synopsis

A study was carried out to assess the correlation between the serum concentration of hepatitis C virus RNA (HCV-RNA) in patients with chronic hepatitis, as measured by competitive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (cRT-PCR) and branched DNA probe assay (bDNA), and response to interferon-a (IFNa) therapy. The serum HCV-RNA concentration was evaluated by both cRT-PCR and bDNA i n 54 patients who had received a total dose of 480 M U of IFNa. HCV subtypes were also identified in all patients. The measurement of serum HCV-RNA concentration by bDNA correlated significantly with that of cRT-PCR. The concentration of HCV-RNA in subtype 1 patients was significantly higher than that in subtype 2 patients when measured by bDNA, but not when measured by cRT-PCR. The correlation of HCV-RNA concentration between bDNA and cRT-PCR was associated with both subtypes 1 and 2. The difference in serum HCV-RNA concentration between complete and incomplete responders was more significant when measured by bDNA probe assay than by cRT-PCR. Moreover, only l of 26 patients with a HCV-RNA concentration of more than 1 x lo6 eq/ml as measured by bDNA probe assay attained a complete response, while 19 of 28 patients with that of less than 1 x lo6 eq/ml achieved it. Measurement of serum HCV-RNA concentration by bDNA probe assay was a better predictor of clinical response to IFNa therapy than measurement by cRT-PCR. 0 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.