Antibody test tracks hepatitis C treatment:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
A reduction in levels of so-called envelope antibodies in chronic hepatitis C patients is a good indication of successful interferon treatment, according to research in the Journal of Medical Virology (February). Researchers from the University Hospital in Ghent, Belgium, explained that only a small proportion of patients have a sustained biochemical and virologic response to interferon-alpha therapy and in these, the decline of anti-E1 envelope antibodies is most pronounced. These antibodies, which are highly variable, are detected using recombinant proteins containing HCV 1b sequences in enzyme immunoassays, in order to improve the match between virus and antigen.