Detection of hepatitis C virus by polymerase chain reaction and response to interferon-alpha therapy: relationship to genotypes of hepatitis C virus

Hepatology. 1992 Aug;16(2):293-9. doi: 10.1002/hep.1840160203.

Abstract

To investigate the relationship between genotypes of hepatitis C virus and response to interferon-alpha therapy, hepatitis C virus RNA was assayed by polymerase chain reaction with three sets of primers and probes in 70 patients with non-A, non-B chronic hepatitis who received interferon-alpha. Twenty-four patients sustained long-term remissions (complete responders). Polymerase chain reaction for 5'-terminal noncoding region detected hepatitis C virus RNA in 94.3% (66 of 70) of the patients. Polymerase chain reaction for nonstructural region 3, in which primers and a probe were synthesized to be identical to hepatitis C virus-J, detected hepatitis C virus RNA in 40 patients. Polymerase chain reaction for nonstructural region 5-in which sequences of primers and a probe were derived from hepatitis C virus-K2, a genotype different from hepatitis C virus-J--detected hepatitis C virus RNA in 17 patients. Only one patient was positive on both nonstructural region 3 and nonstructural region 5 polymerase chain reaction. Nucleotide sequence of clones obtained from 5' terminal noncoding region polymerase chain reaction products of two patients positive on polymerase chain reaction for nonstructural region 3 and negative on polymerase chain reaction for nonstructural region 5 (group 1) corresponded to that of the hepatitis C virus-J group, and those of clones from two patients negative on polymerase chain reaction for nonstructural region 3 and positive on polymerase chain reaction for nonstructural region 5 (group 2) corresponded to that of hepatitis C virus-K2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Base Sequence
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Hepacivirus / drug effects
  • Hepacivirus / genetics
  • Hepacivirus / isolation & purification*
  • Hepatitis C / therapy
  • Humans
  • Interferon-alpha / pharmacology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction*
  • RNA, Viral / analysis

Substances

  • Interferon-alpha
  • RNA, Viral