The decline in antibodies to hepatitis C virus during antiviral therapy

The goal of the study was to analyze B-cell response to hepatitis C virus during antiviral therapy among responders and non-responders. The content of antibodies to individual structural and non-structural HCV proteins was investigated during two years in three groups of patients: initial responders, non-responders and a reference group (without therapy). Treated patients in all groups exhibited the decrease in antibodies to analyzed HCV proteins, but with different patterns. The first statistically significant differences in the decline of the virus-specific antibodies between initial responders and non-responders were observed within the first three months after the beginning of therapy. Some treated patients demonstrated the decrease in antibody levels to HCV proteins after the end of therapy. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. 2009.