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Caspase activation is required for antiviral treatment response in chronic hepatitis C virus infection
Author(s) -
Volkmann Xandra,
Cornberg Markus,
Wedemeyer Heiner,
Lehner Frank,
Manns Michael P.,
SchulzeOsthoff Klaus,
Bantel Heike
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.21186
Subject(s) - hepatitis c virus , antiviral therapy , antiviral treatment , virus , medicine , caspase , apoptosis , immunology , hepacivirus , virology , chronic hepatitis , biology , programmed cell death , biochemistry
Only half of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and genotype‐1 show a sustained antiviral response to the current antiviral therapy. The reason this treatment fails is unclear, and no reliable marker exists that predicts the treatment outcome. In the present study, we investigated the apoptotic activation of caspases in HCV patients undergoing antiviral therapy with regard to the treatment outcome. We determined caspase activation in sera from patients who were either responding or nonresponding to antiviral therapy by using two novel caspase assays, an immunological and a luminometric enzyme test. We found that compared with nonresponding individuals, responding patients showed significantly ( P < .05) increased caspase activity, which was closely correlated with virus elimination ( r = 0.81). The cutoff value of serum caspase activity was determined, which correctly predicted the treatment outcome with a sensitivity of 70% and a specificity of 82% (area under the curve 0.845; 95% CI). In conclusion , hepatic caspase activity might play a role in HCV clearance and could also predict the efficacy of antiviral therapy. (H EPATOLOGY 2006;43: 1311–1316.)