Background and Aims:Sustained virologic response is evaluated by single-step reverse transcription(SRT)PCR as-say,which assesses hepatitis C virus(HCV)clearance from plasma but not from tissues such as peripheral bloo...Background and Aims:Sustained virologic response is evaluated by single-step reverse transcription(SRT)PCR as-say,which assesses hepatitis C virus(HCV)clearance from plasma but not from tissues such as peripheral blood mono-nuclear cells(PBMCs).Persistence of HCV RNA in PBMCs beyond end of treatment(EOT)is associated with nonres-ponse.Our goal was to measure intra-PBMC HCV RNA levels during oral antiviral therapy according to the HCV therapy follow-up fractionation(CTF2)protocol.Methods:Compen-sated chronic HCV patients(n=278 SRT-PCR positive)were scheduled to receive oral antiviral therapy.Subjects were followed-up by SRT and intra-PBMCs HCV RNA PCR at the end of the 2nd,6th,10th,14th,18th and 24th weeks to evaluate virus clearance from plasma and PBMCs,respectively.The CTF2 protocol evaluated SRT and PBMC PCR status at each follow-up point for determining therapy continuation or inter-ruption to address cost effectiveness.Results:All patients tested negative by SRT PCR after therapy for 2 weeks.Appli-cation of the CTF2 protocol revealed:a)increasing HCV clear-ance rate from 75.9%at the end of 10th week to 90.3%at the end of 24th week(p<0.00001);b)faster clearance of HCV from plasma compared to PBMCs at each point of follow-up until the 18th week(p<0.05);c)higher viral elimination rates diagnosed by PBMC HCV RNA PCR(?)compared to PBMC HCV RNA PCR(+)from the 6th to 24th week of treatment(p<0.0001);d)higher over-time increase curve of combined plasma and PBMC HCV RNA determined negativity compared to the decline in positivity curves by PBMC PCR at the 6th-18th week compared to the 24th week(p<0.01)—these results validated treatment continuation;and e)solitary evaluation of EOT sustained HCV infection and relapses by PBMC HCV RNA(p<0.001).Conclusions:Early elimination of serum and tissue(PBMC)HCV infection by oral antiviral therapy can be achieved and evaluated during a cost-effective CTF2 pro-tocol application.展开更多
基金Financial support for this study was provided by the Faculty of Medicine at Al-Azhar University.Academic and technical support from the National Research Centerthe Academy of Scientific Research and Technology Development Fund(Grant No.3365)are appreciated.
文摘Background and Aims:Sustained virologic response is evaluated by single-step reverse transcription(SRT)PCR as-say,which assesses hepatitis C virus(HCV)clearance from plasma but not from tissues such as peripheral blood mono-nuclear cells(PBMCs).Persistence of HCV RNA in PBMCs beyond end of treatment(EOT)is associated with nonres-ponse.Our goal was to measure intra-PBMC HCV RNA levels during oral antiviral therapy according to the HCV therapy follow-up fractionation(CTF2)protocol.Methods:Compen-sated chronic HCV patients(n=278 SRT-PCR positive)were scheduled to receive oral antiviral therapy.Subjects were followed-up by SRT and intra-PBMCs HCV RNA PCR at the end of the 2nd,6th,10th,14th,18th and 24th weeks to evaluate virus clearance from plasma and PBMCs,respectively.The CTF2 protocol evaluated SRT and PBMC PCR status at each follow-up point for determining therapy continuation or inter-ruption to address cost effectiveness.Results:All patients tested negative by SRT PCR after therapy for 2 weeks.Appli-cation of the CTF2 protocol revealed:a)increasing HCV clear-ance rate from 75.9%at the end of 10th week to 90.3%at the end of 24th week(p<0.00001);b)faster clearance of HCV from plasma compared to PBMCs at each point of follow-up until the 18th week(p<0.05);c)higher viral elimination rates diagnosed by PBMC HCV RNA PCR(?)compared to PBMC HCV RNA PCR(+)from the 6th to 24th week of treatment(p<0.0001);d)higher over-time increase curve of combined plasma and PBMC HCV RNA determined negativity compared to the decline in positivity curves by PBMC PCR at the 6th-18th week compared to the 24th week(p<0.01)—these results validated treatment continuation;and e)solitary evaluation of EOT sustained HCV infection and relapses by PBMC HCV RNA(p<0.001).Conclusions:Early elimination of serum and tissue(PBMC)HCV infection by oral antiviral therapy can be achieved and evaluated during a cost-effective CTF2 pro-tocol application.
