Evaluation of cross-reactive antibody response to HVR1 in chronic hepatitis C

Table 2 Basal features and cross-reactivity of hypervariable region 1 antibodies determined by cross-reactivity chip in patients with genotype 1b hepatitis C virus chronic infection according to the severity of the underlying liver diseases

	Mild (n = 23)	Moderate (n = 18)	Hepatic cirrhosis (n = 16)
Age (yr)	44.5 ± 7.3	47.2 ± 10.8	45.4 ± 8.0
Time of infection	16.2 ± 4.3	18.1 ± 4.3	17.8 ± 5.7
Sex (M/F)	9/14	7/11	11/5
ALT	42.3 ± 48.1	39.4 ± 43.2	94.1 ± 167.6
HCV-RNA (copes × 103)	2189 ± 4562	4153 ± 11564	1582 ± 1676
Cross-reactivity	3.09 ± 2.68ad	5.44 ± 3.93	7.44 ± 3.90
Positive for anti-HVR1	21	18	16

Quantitative data are expressed as mean ± SD. The value of cross-reactivity of hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) antibodies is determined by the number of representative HVR1 proteins reacted with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) sera.

^aP < 0.05 vs patients with moderate hepatitis;

^dP < 0.01 vs patients with liver cirrhosis. ALT: Alanine transaminase.