TYPE-SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES TO HEPATITIS-C VIRUS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C FOR PREDICTING RESPONSE TO INTERFERON-ALFA

Type-specific antibodies were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with antigen probes deduced from the core gene of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 50 patients with chronic active hepatitis C who received interferon alfa. Type 1 antibody was detected in 16 (50%) of 32 patients infected with HCV of genotype II, and type 2 antibody in ten (56%) of 18 patients infected with HCV of genotype III or IV. Type 1 antibody was not detectable in any patients infected with HCV of genotype III or IV, while type 2 antibody was not detected in any patients infected with HCV of genotype II. Response to interferon occurred in six (38%) of 16 patients with type 1 antibody and eight (50%) of 16 without who were infected with HCV of genotype II. It was achieved in nine (90%) of ten patients with type 2 antibody and six (75%) of eight without antibody who were infected with HCV of genotype III or IV. The rate of response to interferon in patients infected with HCV of genotype III or IV (15/18 or 83%) was higher (P < 0.025) than that in patients infected with HCV of genotype II (14/32 or 44%). The response was seen much more frequently (P < 0.025) in patients with type 2 antibody (9/10 or 90%) than that in those with type 1 antibody (6/16 or 38%). These results indicate that determination of type-specific antibody to HCV would be useful for predicting response to interferon in patients with chronic hepatitis C.