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The US Food and Drug Administration
recently approved a diagnostic hepatitis test that can determine the genotype
of a patient’s hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This information is important
for treatment as there is no vaccine for HCV, the most common blood-borne
disease in the United States.
The test, called the Abott RealTime
HCV Genotype II, uses a patient’s blood plasma or serum to identify the virus
as genotype 1, 1a, 1b, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Each genotype responds to different drug
treatment, so knowing the genotype will help clinicians decide on the specific
treatment to use. According to Tony Marion, a University of Tennessee Health
Science Center professor, 1a and 1b are the most common genotypes in the United
States. He stated that they did not respond very well to interferon-based
treatments and were the most aggressive and difficult to treat. Marion noted
that the benefit of this test included avoiding side effects of drugs that were
not really suited to treatment. Also, matching treatment to genotyping tests
could reduce costs and eliminate “one-size-fits-all” treatment.
HCV infects approximately 3.2
million people in the United States and is the leading cause of transplants;
15,000 die annually from the disease. Untreated chronic infections may lead to
liver cancer, severe liver damage, and liver failure.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus.
To learn more about The Friends of
AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
