SVR Durability in HCV Treated with Interferon-Based Therapy

Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive patients who achieve sustained virologic response (SVR) after undergoing interferon-based therapy generally are believed to have cleared the virus permanently. However, some studies have suggested that HCV RNA can persist in liver tissue and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Now, researchers in France have reexamined this issue.

The investigators assessed the presence of HCV RNA in serum, liver tissue, and PBMCs in 344 HCV-infected patients who, between January 1988 and January 2005, achieved SVR after undergoing interferon-based therapy. SVR was defined as an undetectable serum HCV RNA level 6 months posttreatment, using transcription-mediated amplification (sensitivity, <9.6 IU/mL). Median follow-…