Early viral kinetics and response to treatment in a hepatitis C virus genotype 5 infected patient

Genotype 5 hepatitis C has been poorly studied despite its worldwide spread. We have analyzed the early kinetics of genotype 5 hepatitis C virus RNA during pegylated interferon/ribavirin treatment in a 59-year-old man with active liver necroinflammatory changes and advanced liver fibrosis. The patient had a high viral load but a small serum level of hepatitis C core antigen. On combination antiviral treatment with pegylated-interferon alpha 2a, 180 µg/week, and ribavirin, 1200 mg/day, the patient experienced an impressive reduction in serum HCV RNA as early as day 2 of treatment and eventually became a sustained virological responder. Our viral kinetics data support previous clinical studies showing HCV genotype 5 could be as intrinsically sensitive to interferon as HCV genotypes 2 and 3.