Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2a has a better virologic response to antiviral therapy than HCV genotype 1b

The standard treatment, pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV), for patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC), does not provide a sustained virologic response (SVR) in a large majority of patients. In the present study, 211 treatment-naïve patients with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1b and 2a were recruited and treated weekly with PEG-IFN plus RBV to determine the response of HCV genotype 1b and 2a patients to standard antiviral treatment. Virologic responses were assessed by TaqMan at week 4, 12, 24, 48 and 24 weeks of treatment. Patients with HCV genotype 2a had a significantly higher rapid virologic response (RVR), early virologic response, end-of-treatment response and SVR, and a lower relapse rate than patients with HCV genotype 1b. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the HCV genotype 2a patients had a HCV RNA level ≤ 5.70 log10 IU/ml, a fibrosis stage < S3, and that HLA-A02 expression and RVR were independent factors of SVR that may improve HCV clearance.