Antiviral treatment responses in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection evaluated by a third generation anti-hepatitis C virus assay

summary . Antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) may decrease or disappear after viral clearance in treated or spontaneously resolved infection. We evaluated the usefulness of serial antibody assays in predicting the antiviral treatment responses. One hundred and four chronic hepatitis C patients who received 24 weeks of interferon and ribavirin combination therapy were assayed with a third generation enzyme immunoassay anti-HCV. The mean titre of anti-HCV decreased by more than 50% (from 89.5 ± 10.8 to 43.6 ± 17.5) at 48 weeks post-treatment in patients with a sustained virological response, while in nonsustained virological responders and nonresponders, the titres remained over 85% of the pretreatment level at 48 weeks post-treatment. There was a divergence of anti-HCV titres between sustained and nonsustained virological responders during 6–9 months. By using the ratio of 9-month to 6-month titres as an index and receiver operator characteristic curve analysis with the cut-off point set at 90%, we could differentiate sustained virological responders from nonsustained virological responders with a sensitivity and specificity of 91.7% and 90.9%, respectively, 3 months after treatment. The titre of this third generation anti-HCV decreased progressively in sustained virological responders and this assay may be used to monitor and predict antiviral treatment responses.     

Interferon-alpha combined with ketoprofen as treatment of naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C: a randomized controlled trial

Summary. In this randomized controlled study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of interferon-α combined with ketoprofen to that of interferon-α alone in naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C. Forty patients were randomized to receive Interferon-α_2a (3 million units three times a week) and ketoprofen (150 mg twice a day) and 40 to receive only interferon-α_2a at the same dose. Patients were treated for 6 months and followed up for 6 months. Response was defined by undetectable HCV-RNA in serum at the end-of-treatment and after 6 months from the completion of therapy (long term response). At the end of treatment the response was similar in the two group. However, combination treatment showed significantly higher efficacy than monotherapy in achieving long term response (10%vs 32.5%; P = 0.014). Overall adverse events were similar in the two groups. ‘Flu-like syndrome was significantly less common in the ketoprofen plus interferon group which experienced a significantly higher incidence of epigastric pain'. Our results indicate that the combination of ketoprofen plus interferon is significantly more effective than interferon alone in the tratment of naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C and is well tolerated. However this combined treatment appears to be less effective than the association of pegylated IFN and ribavirin which represent the current standard treatment. Thus, the role of ketoprofen in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C needs to be further evaluated against such a treatment.     

易被忽视的血清HCV-RNA阴性丙型肝炎的诊治

目的研究血清HCV-RNA阴性慢性丙型肝炎（CHC）的诊断及治疗。方法2004-02／2008-02连续收治的血清HCV-RNA阴性CHC患者12例,平均年龄41．1岁。11例有创伤或手术史,10例血清抗．HCV检查阳性至少3次,另2例阴性（此前曾有过阳性）。血清ALT、AST持续或反复升高6mo以上。头5例肝穿活检见HCV-RNA,炎症活动度为Ⅱ度4例,Ⅲ度1例。排除其它肝病。所有患者均予干扰素α300万U,im,1次／2d;利巴韦林900mg／d,分次口服,前11例疗程48wk、最后1例24wk后随访。结果10例治疗48wk,1例治疗36wk自行停药,1例完成24wk治疗。所有患者血清ALT和AST均于4wk内降至正常。12例均有不同程度的干扰素副反应,均未影响治疗。治疗结束后随访10-48mo所有患者血清ALT和AST均正常,HCV-RNA及抗-HCV无变化。结论有创伤／手术史,血清抗-HCV阳性或以前曾有过阳性,HCV-RNA阴性、ALT、AST持续或反复异常超过6mo当考虑血清HCV-RNA阴性CHC诊断,排除其它肝病及／或肝组织检测到HCV-RNA时当诊断血清HCV-RNA阴性CHC并积极抗病毒治疗,对干扰素α和利巴韦林反应良好。     

吸毒人群中丙型肝炎病毒感染状况调查分析

目的:了解吸毒人员丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)感染情况及其高危因素,为此特殊人群提出针对性防控措施提供依据?方法:2005~2008年在江苏省部分戒毒所?劳教所按照随机原则设立7个监测哨点,并按照监测哨点的监测要求对每年4~6月新关押的2 811例吸毒人员进行整群抽样,对调查对象进行问卷调查,并采集静脉血液标本,用ELISA法检测抗-HCV抗体?调查数据经复核后录入计算机,应用SPSS11.5统计软件进行汇总与分析?结果:2 811例调查对象共检测出抗-HCV抗体阳性957例,感染率为34.0%?其中男性HCV感染率为35.1%,女性感染率为29.2%,男性HCV感染率明显高于女性( χ2=6.32,P < 0.05)?调查人群年龄范围为18~74岁,不同年龄组抗-HCV抗体阳性率总体呈现两头低?中间高,最高年龄组为30~39岁组,组间差异有统计学意义( χ2=65.31,P < 0.01)?本省籍与外省籍以及不同婚姻状况之间HCV感染率差异不显著?通过注射方式吸毒?通过钱或毒品交易与他人发生过性行为?性行为时不使用安全套等为HCV感染的危险因素?结论:吸毒人群中抗-HCV抗体阳性率远远超过自然人群的感染率,说明该人群存在着丙肝传播与流行的危险因素,是丙肝防治的重点人群?对吸毒人群的高危行为应实施更有针对性的健康教育和行为干预综合防治措施?     

对HBsAg和抗-HCV ELISA筛查阳性献血者进行确认试验分析

目的 探讨对HBsAg和抗-HCV ELISA筛查阳性献血者进行确认试验分析的意义。方法分别采用中和试验对ELISA检测HBsAg阳性献血者和重组免疫印记试验(RIBA)对抗-HCV阳性献血者进行确认检测，并对确认试验阴性献血者进行NAT检测。结果38693份献血者中，ELISA筛查出HBsAg和抗-HCV阳性分别为381(0．98％)份和173(0．45％)份。在ELISA筛查出的381份HBsAg阳性献血者中，经中和试验确认HBsAg阳性352份，29份为阴性；173份抗-HCV阳性献血者中，RIBA试验确认79份阳性。59份阴性。35份为可疑；29份中和试验确认HBsAg阴性标本和94份RIBA确认抗-HCV阴性或可疑的标本．NAT检测HBV DNA和HCV RNA均为阴性。结论对献血者进行HBsAg和抗-HCV确认试验能够避免假阳性结果的发生，有利于保护献血者的利益和推动志愿无偿献血事业的开展。     

Relevance of RIBA-3 supplementary test to HCV PCR positivity and genotypes for HCV confirmation of blood donors

HCV antibody screening of 624,910 blood donations resulted in 3,832 samples being referred for confirmation. All were tested by RIBA-3 with 2,710 negative, 945 indeterminate and 177 positive results. HCV RNA was detected by PCR in an average of 69.5% of RIBA-3 positives (4 bands 84.1%; 3 bands 74.1%; 2 bands 34.1%) and only 0.53% of RIBA-3 indeterminates. Eighty-four percent of samples with a total RIBA-3 band intensity score (maximum 16) of ≥8 were PCR positive compared with only 22% of those with a score of <8. Total mean band intensities for HCV genotype 1 samples (n = 65) were 13.2, genotype 2 (n = 17) 11.4 and genotype 3 (n = 65) 11.2 with type 1 samples showing greater reactivity with c100 and c33 antibodies. No PCR positive type 1 samples were found with RIBA-3 total band scores less than 8, no PCR positive type 2 samples less than 6, whilst PCR positive type 3 samples were found with scores as low as 2. NS5 indeterminates were the most common (40.2%) single band pattern but yielded no PCR positive samples, followed by c33 (23.3%) with one PCR positive and c100 (20.2%) with one PCR positive whilst c22 indeterminates were least common (16.3%) but included three PCR positive donors. All five RIBA-3 indeterminate PCR positive donors were type 3. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Retrospective Evaluation of Hepatitis C Awareness in Turkey Through Two Decades

Background/Aims: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is the only viral infection that can be treated with oral antiviral agents. However, CHC awareness is a major barrier to the World Health Organization’s target of eliminating the hepatitis C virus (HCV) by 2030. Here, CHC awareness trends were analyzed in Hacettepe University Hospital, Turkey, between January 2000 and December 2017.Methods: Central laboratory data were retrospectively analyzed for HCV test results (anti-HCV, HCV RNA, HCV genotype). After combining 548 141 anti-HCV test results, 395 103 cases were analyzed. The following 2 parameters were defined for CHC awareness: (1) the presence of HCV RNA results for anti-HCV positives and (2) the presence of a genotype result for HCV RNA positives.Results: Anti-HCV positives were older than negatives (mean age-years ± SD, 59.4 ± 19.0 vs. 44.0 ± 18.9), and the positivity rate was higher in women than in men (1.4% vs. 1.0%). Anti-HCV positivity decreased from 3.1% to 0.6% from 2000 to 2015 and subsequently stabilized. The overall percentage of RNA testing among anti-HCV positives was 53.1% (range, 20%-70%), which stabilized at approximately 50% after 2010. The genotyping rate for RNA positives varied between 40% and 70%. The main genotype identified was genotype 1 (85.7%).Conclusion: In an ideal CHC awareness state, all anti-HCV positives should undergo RNA testing, and genotyping should be performed when RNA tests are positive. However, even in our referral center, the combined rate of RNA and genotype testing was only approximately 50% during the last 10 years.     

ELISA法抗-HCV阳性献血者分片段试剂和RT-PCR法检测结果分析

目的观察无偿献血者标本中ELISA法抗-HCV检测的假阳性问题以及ELISA法对HCV不同抗原片段的反应性。方法留取本站无偿献血者中抗-HCV阳性（两种试剂检测阳性）样本56份和可疑样本（单试剂检测阳性）90份,分别使用抗-HCV分片段试剂和RT-PCR试剂进行检测,对使用分片段抗-HCV试剂检测单片段和两个以上片段（≥2个片段）阳性的样本再进行RT-PCR的确证检测。结果56份抗-HCV阳性的样本中分片段试剂两个片段以上阳性45份（80.4%）,RT-PCR阳性19份（42.2%）;单试剂抗-HCV检测阳性样本90份中分片段抗-HCV双片段以上阳性12份（13.3%）,RT-PCR阳性0份（0%）;单试剂抗-HCV检测阳性样本90份中分片段抗-HCV单片段阳性20份（22.2%）,RT-PCR阳性1份（1.1%）;154份阴性样本分片段抗-HCV试剂单片段阳性3份,RT-PCR检测全部阴性。结论目前采用两种抗-HCV试剂对献血者进行抗-HCV筛选,能够保证血液安全;抗-HCV试剂检测的假阳性率偏高,导致一些献血者的检测结果被误判;单试剂抗-HCV检测存在一定的漏检率,对献血者进行抗-HCV进行检测时应选择恰当的配伍试剂。     

501例献血员血清丙型肝炎抗体的检测报告

采用酶联吸附试验(ELISA)检测501例献血员血清中的丙型肝炎抗体(抗-HCV),阳性率为7.18%(36/501).其中单采浆者阳性率为10.29%,输全血者为6.02%,两组比较,P>0.05,无显著差异.研究表明:献血员抗-HCV的阳性率与年龄、性别、职业无关.并认为预防或减少输血后肝炎的发生,对献血员抗-HCV的检测,不失为一种方便、适用的方法.