This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
HCV core protein impacted mixed cryoglobulinemia patients based on genotype
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Hepatitis C virus core protein directly affected the cold-precipitation process in a virus genotype-dependence found in hepatitis C virus-related mixed cryoglobulinemia patients, according to recent results.
Researchers observed links between hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein (Cp) and HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA), and cryocrit and virus genotype (gt) in 102 patients (median age, 68 years; 78% women) chronically infected with HCV-related mixed cryoglobulinemia (MCG). All positive HCV-Cp samples also were positive for HCV RNA (median level, 18.3 pg/mL).
HCV gt-1 was detected in 50% of patients, HCV gt-2 in 48.1% and HCV gt-3 in the remaining patients. Gt-1 patients had lower HCV-Cp median concentrations in unfractionated serum samples (P=.007) and in the supernatants (P=.03). HCV-Cp enrichment in the cryoprecipitates was greater in gt-1 than in gt-2 patients (P=.04).
A correlation coefficient of 0.318 (95% CI, 0.1239-0.4887) was determined with cold-precipitated HCV-Cp and the amount of cryoprecipitates. The correlation was stronger in gt-1 patients (r=0.4937; 95% CI, 0.2446-0.6817 vs. 0.3646; 95% CI, 0.0928-0.5858).
In linear regression analysis, 1 pg of HCV-Cp/mL of serum sample was equivalent to 1,425 IU HCV RNA/mL in gt-1 patients compared with 12,850 IU HCV RNA/mL in gt-2 patients. Researchers said this relationship established average estimates for HCV-Cp to be associated with viral genome in 3.4% of gt-1 patients compared with 35% of gt-2 patients.
Rituximab therapy reduced cryoprecipitation, resulting in an HCV-Cp increase, while patients who received rituximab and pegylated interferon-alfa with ribavirin experienced rapid clearance of HCV-Cp.
“Given the strong relationship between HCV-Cp and cold-precipitated proteins, these findings prove that HCV-Cp determination can be favorably applied as a supplemental test in monitoring the variegated clinical features of MCG vasculitis as well as response to antiviral treatment of these patients,” the researchers concluded.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts