[The effect of interferon in combination with ribavirin on the plus and minus strands of hepatitis C virus RNA in patients with hepatitis].

The effect of interferon in combination with ribavirin on the plus and minus strands of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) was studied by means of nested RT-PCR. The results showed that in those who respond to the combination of antiviral therapy, their increased serum ALT levels decreased to normal range, but more than half (55.56%) of these patients relapsed 24 weeks after cessation of the antiviral therapy. The positive rate of the plus strand HCV RNA in serum (92.31%) decreased significantly to 38.46% (P < 0.005) and that of the minus strands HCV RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC, 76.92%) to 38.46% (P < 0.05) at the end of the treatment, but little effect on the plus strand HCV RNA in PBMC in these patients was found. Relapse occurred in patients whose plus and minus strands of HCV RNA in PBMC remained positive during treatment. These data indicated that absence of HCV RNA in serum do not mean complete clearance of HCV and can not predict a sustained therapeutic response. For evaluating the antiviral effect and prognosis it is essential to measure the plus and minus strands of HCV RNA in serum and PBMC simultaneously. The results of the combined antiviral therapy were similar to that of single interferon treatment; it seems that rib-a-virin do not enhance the antiviral effect of interferon.