Viral clearance or persistence after acute hepatitis C infection: Interim results from a prospective study
Abstract
Materials and methods. Eight patients with acute symptomatic hepatitis C were prospectively followed up for more than 6 months (range, 8–14 months). None of the individuals received antiviral therapy during the study period. We analyzed biochemical, virological, and immunological parameters of these patients detected at different time-points of the follow-up. Plasma HCV RNA was quantitated using TaqManâ real-time polymerase chain reaction. Virusspecific CD4+ T cells were enumerated by interferon-gamma (IFN-g) ELISpot assay.
Results. Two of eight individuals resolved HCV spontaneously, while the remaining patients developed chronic HCV infection. HCV RNA became undetectable within 14 days of the study, followed by a rapid alanine aminotransferase normalization in patients with resolved infection. On the contrary, chronically infected subjects demonstrated persistent viremia or intermittently undetectable HCV-RNA, accompanied by polyphasic alanine aminotransferase profile throughout the study. Patients with self-limited hepatitis C displayed the strongest virus-specific CD4+ T (IFN-g) cell reactivity within the first weeks of the follow-up, while persistently infected subjects initially showed a weak antiviral CD4+ T (IFN-g) cell response.
Conclusions. In most cases, acute hepatitis C progresses to chronic disease. Viral clearance within the first month after clinical presentation accompanied by monophasic alanine aminotransferase profile could predict recovery. Early and strong CD4+/Th1 immune response against HCV might play an important role in the disease resolution.
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Guobužaitė, A.; Chokshi, S.; Balčiūnienė, L.; Voinič, A.; Stiklerytė, A.; Žagminas, K.; Ambrozaitis, A.; Naoumov, N. Viral clearance or persistence after acute hepatitis C infection: Interim results from a prospective study. Medicina 2008, 44, 510. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina44070066
Guobužaitė A, Chokshi S, Balčiūnienė L, Voinič A, Stiklerytė A, Žagminas K, Ambrozaitis A, Naoumov N. Viral clearance or persistence after acute hepatitis C infection: Interim results from a prospective study. Medicina. 2008; 44(7):510. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina44070066
Chicago/Turabian StyleGuobužaitė, Aušra, Shilpa Chokshi, Ligita Balčiūnienė, Alina Voinič, Aušra Stiklerytė, Kęstutis Žagminas, Arvydas Ambrozaitis, and Nikolai Naoumov. 2008. "Viral clearance or persistence after acute hepatitis C infection: Interim results from a prospective study" Medicina 44, no. 7: 510. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina44070066