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Stability of HCV‐RNA level and its lack of correlation with disease severity in asymptomatic chronic hepatitis C virus carriers
Author(s) -
Yeo A. E. T.,
Ghany M.,
ConryCantilena C.,
Melpolder J. C.,
Kleiner D. E.,
Shih J. W. K.,
Hoofnagle J. H.,
Alter H. J.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of viral hepatitis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1365-2893
pISSN - 1352-0504
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2893.2001.00302.x
Subject(s) - bdna test , asymptomatic , hepatitis c virus , medicine , gastroenterology , viral load , rna , univariate analysis , hepatitis c , confidence interval , fibrosis , immunology , virus , biology , multivariate analysis , biochemistry , gene
This study examines the relationship between HCV‐RNA levels and disease severity in 60 individuals with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. HCV‐RNA levels were quantified by the branched DNA (bDNA) assay in 445 samples (median: eight samples per patient) obtained over a median of 40.4 months (95% confidence interval (CI): 37.0–42.5). The median log HCV‐RNA level was 6.77 (95% CI: 6.62–6.92) molecular equivalents/mL (MEQ/mL). The median log range of HCV‐RNA levels in individual patients over the course of the study was 0.89 (95% CI: 0.69–1.16). HCV‐RNA level varied over time by less than one log in 62% of patients, by 1–1.5 logs in 22% and by greater than 1.5 logs in only 17%. Univariate analysis, revealed an inverse association between HCV‐RNA levels and ALT levels ( P =0.037). Univariate and logistic regression analysis showed no significant association between HCV‐RNA levels and either the degree of inflammation or fibrosis. In contrast, there was a significant positive association between alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and histological activity especially in individuals with ALTs> 100 IU/L. Hence, HCV‐RNA levels: (i) almost always fell within the dynamic range of the bDNA assay; (ii) were stable in asymptomatic chronically infected patients, with only a small proportion of patients exceeding a range of 1.5 logs; (iii) did not correlate with either the extent of inflammation or degree of fibrosis. In contrast, there was a strong association between ALT level and the histological severity of liver disease.