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Comparison of serum hepatitis C virus RNA concentration by branched DNA probe assay with competitive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction as a predictor of response to interferon‐α therapy in chronic hepatitis C patients

A study was carried out to assess the correlation between the serum concentration of hepatitis C virus RNA (HCV‐RNA) in patients with chronic hepatitis, as measured by competitive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (cRT‐PCR) and branched DNA probe assay (bDNA), and response to interferon‐α (IFNα) therapy. The serum HCV‐RNA concentration was evaluated by both cRT‐PCR and bDNA in 54 patients who had received a total dose of 480 MU of IFNα. HCV subtypes were also identified in all patients. The measurement of serum HCV‐RNA concentration by bDNA correlated significantly with that of cRT‐PCR. The concentration of HCV‐RNA in subtype 1 patients was significantly higher than that in subtype 2 patients when measured by bDNA, but not when measured by cRT‐PCR. The correlation of HCV‐RNA concentration between bDNA and cRT‐PCR was associated with both subtypes 1 and 2. The difference in serum HCV‐RNA concentration between complete and incomplete responders was more significant when measured by bDNA probe assay than by cRT‐PCR. Moreover, only 1 of 26 patients with a HCV‐RNA concentration of more than 1 × 106 eq/ml as measured by bDNA probe assay attained a complete response, while 19 of 28 patients with that of less than 1 × 106 eq/ml achieved it. Measurement of serum HCV‐RNA concentration by bDNA probe assay was a better predictor of clinical response to IFNα therapy than measurement by cRT‐PCR. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.