Early treatment is key to combating Hepatitis C virus – Researchers Publish Research Results in On-line Edition of Journal of Virology
MONTREAL, Aug. 8 – Canadian researchers have shown that patients who develop a rapid poly-functional immune response against hepatitis C virus (HCV) can eliminate the virus rapidly without any treatment, according to a new study published in the Journal of Virology.The investigation was led by Dr. Naglaa Shoukry and Dr. Julie Bruneau, who affiliated to both the Research Centre of the Université de Montréal Hospital Centre and the Université de Montréal, as well as researchers from the Institut national de la santé et de la recherché scientifique (Montréal branch) and Assiut University, Egypt. The study found that patients who could not mount a rapid poly-functional immune response became persistently infected and eventually lost any immune cells directed against HCV. What’s more, the research team found that when early treatment was administered within the first months following an infection, patients developed a rapid poly-functional immune response against HCV and eliminated the virus rapidly without any further treatment.
This new discovery of the mechanisms of viral eradication, according to the research team, could contribute to the development of new treatments. In North America alone, most new HCV infections occur among intravenous drug users (IDUs), a vulnerable population that is often undiagnosed and untreated. In the study, researchers followed a group of IDUs at high risk of HCV infection before and immediately after exposure to HCV. Their findings clearly show the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of HCV – particularly in marginalized populations such as IDUs and aboriginal populations.
HCV is transmitted through infected blood. Although a quarter of infected individuals eradicate the infection spontaneously, the majority develop persistent infection, a major cause of cirrhosis and cancer of the liver. The only approved treatment for HCV is an anti-viral drug known as pegylated interferon alpha. This drug is successful in only half of cases when administered during chronic infection. Success rates among those treated early after infection are significantly higher or around 90%.
The study, published in the Journal of Virology, was funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Fonds de la recherché en santé du Québec. The study abstract is available online at: jvi.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/JVI.01083-08v1
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For further information: Nathalie Forgue, Communications Advisor, University of Montréal Hospital Centre, (514) 890-8000, ext. 14342, Pager: (514) 801-5762; Andrew McColgan, Ministerial Liaison and Public Affairs, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, (613) 946-0927, amccolgan@cihr-irsc.gc.ca; Marielle Gascon-Barré, President director general by interim, Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec, (514) 873-2114, ext. 229; Source: Communications Department, University of Montreal Hospital Centre
