Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36800372›Full record

ArticlePloS one2023

Longitudinal assessment of HCV core antigen kinetics to monitor therapeutic response in the age of DAAs.

Suresh Ponnuvel, Arul Prakash, Runal John Steve, George Priya Doss, Ashish Goel, Uday George Zachariah, Chundamannil Eapen Eapen, Grace Rebekah, Rajesh Kannangai, Gnanadurai John Fletcher and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Suresh PonnuvelDepartment of Clinical Virology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.ORCID 0000-0003-2797-1096
Arul PrakashDepartment of Clinical Virology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
Runal John SteveDepartment of Clinical Virology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
George Priya DossDepartment of Integrative Biology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India.
Ashish GoelDepartment of Hepatology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
Uday George ZachariahDepartment of Hepatology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
Chundamannil Eapen EapenDepartment of Hepatology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
Grace RebekahDepartment of Biostatistics, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
Rajesh KannangaiDepartment of Clinical Virology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
Gnanadurai John FletcherDepartment of Clinical Virology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.ORCID 0000-0001-5191-8370
Priya AbrahamDepartment of Clinical Virology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn the economy of therapeutic monitoring, an affordable viral marker is essential in the era of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). We elucidated the kinetics of HCVcAg to delineate its precise role in monitoring therapeutic response.

methodsIn this longitudinal study, 3208 patients were tested for HCV RNA. A total of 423 patients were started on DAAs. Treatment response and kinetics of HCVcAg/RNA were assessed in treatment-naïve (n = 383) and previously treated (n = 40) patients with follow-up for 2 years.

resultsAfter the initiation of DAAs, the rate of relapse was significantly higher in the previously treated group than naive group [12.5% (5/40) Vs 2% (7/383), p<0.0001]. The response rate at RVR was significantly higher with HCVcAg than RNA in both groups (p<0.02). The kinetics of HCVcAg and RNA were significantly different at ETR and SVR12 in the naïve (p<0.04), but similar at all therapeutic points in the previously treated group. The correlation between HCVcAg and RNA was good at baseline, ETR and SVR, except RVR in both groups (r>0.6; p<0.0001). Furthermore, HCV genotypes, treatment regimen, CTP (<7/≥7) and MELD (<15/≥15) did not influence the therapeutic response and the viral replication kinetics (p>0.05).

conclusionsIt is the first longitudinal study from India shows that the response rate and kinetics of HCVcAg are comparable to HCV RNA for an extended duration, except at RVR, irrespective of the HCV genotypes, treatment regimen, and liver disease severity. Hence, HCVcAg can be considered as a pragmatic marker to monitor therapeutic response and predict relapse in the era of DAAs.

Indexed as

Antiviral AgentsHepatitis C, ChronicGenotypeHepacivirusHepatitis C AntigensHumansLongitudinal StudiesRecurrenceRNA, ViralAntiviral AgentsHepatitis C AntigensRNA, Viral

Identifiers

PMID36800372
PMCPMC9937470

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.