Viral Hepatitis
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2004. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 1, 2004; 10(13): 1893-1897
Published online Jul 1, 2004. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v10.i13.1893
SEN virus does not affect treatment response in hepatitis C virus coinfected patients but SEN virus response depends on SEN virus DNA concentration
Abdurrahman Sagir, Ortwin Adams, Oliver Kirschberg, Andreas Erhardt, Tobias Heintges, Dieter Häussinger
Abdurrahman Sagir, Oliver Kirschberg, Andreas Erhardt, Tobias Heintges, Dieter Häussinger, Klinik für Gastroenterologie, Hepatologie und Infektiologie, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, Moorenstr 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
Ortwin Adams, Institut für Virologie der Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Moorenstr 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. A. Sagir, Klinik für Gastroenterologie, Hepatologie und Infektiologie, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, Moorenstr 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. sagir@med.uni-duesseldorf.de
Telephone: +49-211-8117820 Fax: +49-211-8118752
Received: October 16, 2003
Revised: February 4, 2004
Accepted: February 11, 2004
Published online: July 1, 2004
Abstract

AIM: To clarify the effect of SEN virus (SENV) infection on a combination therapy including interferon alfa (IFN-α) or pegylated-IFN with ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis and the effect of a combination therapy on SENV.

METHODS: SENV DNA was determined by polymerase chain reaction in serum samples from 95 patients with chronic hepatitis C. Quantitative analysis was done for SENV H DNA.

RESULTS: Twenty-one (22%) of 95 patients were positive for SENV DNA. There was no difference in clinical and biochemical parameters between patients with HCV infection alone and coinfected patients. The sustained response rate for HCV clearance after combination therapy did not differ between patients with SENV (52%) and without SENV (50%, n.s.). SENV DNA was undetectable in 76% of the initially SENV positive patients at the end of follow-up. SENV H response to combination therapy was significantly correlated with SENV DNA level (P = 0.05).

CONCLUSION: SENV infection had no influence on the HCV sustained response rate to the combination therapy. Response rate of SENV to the combination therapy depends on SENV DNA level.

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