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Detection of HCV Core Antigen Is Quick, Easy
Alternative to HIV RNA and Could Be Used to Predict Sustained
Viral Response
Early
virological response may predict outcome following treatment with peginterferon
alfa-2a (Pegasys) and ribavirin in patients chronically infected with
hepatitis C virus (HCV).
Because
total HCV
core antigen may constitute an alternative
direct marker to HCV
RNA for assessing the levels of viremia in such patients,
researchers evaluated the correlation between HCV core antigen
and HCV RNA, and whether HCV core antigen at baseline, 4 and
12 weeks after treatment could predict sustained virological
response (SVR) to combined therapy, in
comparison with HCV RNA.
A
total of 290 serum samples from 58 previously treatment-naïve
chronic HCV patients were examined for HCV core antigen and
HCV-RNA by means of quantitative
HCV RNA testing when receiving combination
therapy for the first time.
Results
SVR was significantly associated with basal HCV core antigen
but not with HCV RNA.
There
was a good correlation between HCV core antigen and HCV RNA
(r2 = 0.781).
The
negative predictive value of HCV core antigen testing in predicting
non response at weeks 4 and 12 were 75 and 100%, and for undetectable
or a 2-log drop in HCV RNA were 69.6 and 75% respectively.
The
authors conclude, “HCV core antigen detection is quick, and
easy to perform alternative to HCV RNA, and could be used
as a marker of HCV viremia for monitoring the progress of
therapy.”
10/14/05
Reference
V
González and others. Clinical usefulness of
total hepatitis C virus core antigen quantification to monitor
the response to treatment with peginterferon alpha-2a plus
ribavirin. Journal of Viral Hepatitis 12(5): 481-487. September
2005.
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