[HCV-serotype and IFN response]

The relation between HCV-serotypes and response to interferon (IFN) in 114 cases with chronic hepatitis C treated with IFN-alpha were studied. HCV-serotypes; two distinct subgroups (serotype 1 and 2) of hepatitis C virus defined by antibodies directed to the putative core protein, were examined by ELISA developed by Machida et al. 1) Of 33 cases with serotype 2, 20 were responders, whereas, only 5 of 35 cases with serotype 1 responded to IFN therapy. 2) Of 23 cases with HCV-genotype III, 18 (78.3%) responded to IFN. Moreover, 12 (85.7%) of 14 cases who had serotype 2 were responders. On the other hand, only 17 (21.0%) cases with genotype II and 4 (12.1%) cases with serotype 1 responded to IFN. HCV-serotyping as well as HCV-genotyping in cases with chronic hepatitis C seems to be important in predicting the response to IFN therapy.