Korean J Clin Pathol.  1998 Dec;18(4):603-607.

Quantification of Serum Hepatitis C Virus in Patients with Chronic C Viral Liver Disease

• Kim YA
• Kim HS
• Cho DH
• Han KH

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The quantification of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is useful in diagnosis and monitoring of HCV infection. We evaluated clinical usefulness of HCV quantification and two quantification methods using different assay principles.
METHODS
HCV RNA quantities and liver function were measured in patients with different disease severity using bDNA assay (QuantiplexTM, Chiron, USA). HCV RNA loads were quantified at the time of pre/post-interferon treatment in some of them using RT-PCR hybridization assay (AMPLICORTM, Roche, USA). These two quantification methods were also compared.
RESULTS
HCV RNA loads showed no significant difference according to disease severity (group I, 3.8 5.3 MEq/mL; group II, 3.8 7.4 MEq/mL; group III, 5.9 13.0 MEq/mL; P=0.181) or interferon response (complete responders, 1.5 105/mL; partial or non responders, 2.2 105/mL; P=0.670). But HCV viral loads decreased at 6th month after interferon treatment (P=0.063) and correlated poorly with liver function tests. The bDNA assay correlated well with the RT-PCR hybridization method (r2=0.854).
CONCLUSIONS
The quantificaion of HCV RNA is useful in following up treatment effect but not in predicting therapeutic failure or assessment of disease severity. HCV RNA quantities are independent of liver function. The bDNA assay showed good correlation with the RT-PCR hybridization method.

Keyword

HCV; Quantification; Branched DNA (bDNA) assay; RT-PCR hybridization

MeSH Terms

Branched DNA Signal Amplification Assay
Diagnosis
Hepacivirus*
Hepatitis C*
Hepatitis*
Humans
Interferons
Liver Diseases*
Liver Function Tests
Liver*
RNA
Viral Load
Interferons
RNA