van der Ree MH, et al. - This study sought to investigate the role of the immune system and miRNA levels in acquiring a sustained virological response after DAA treatment in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients with and without prior RG-101 (anti-miR-122) dosing. As per findings, researchers concluded that successful treatment of CHC patients with and without prior RG-101 dosing resulted in reduction of broad immune activation, and normalization of miR-122 levels.

Methods

• Authors undertook this multicenter, investigator-initiated study.
• Treatment of 29 patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 (n = 11), 3 (n = 17), or 4 (n = 1) infection was performed with sofosbuvir and daclatasvir ± ribavirin.
• There were 18 patients who were previously treated with RG-101.
• They measured IP-10 levels by ELISA.
• Quantification of ex vivo HCV-specific T cell responses was performed in IFN-γ-ELISpot assays.
• Measurement of plasma levels of miR-122 was performed by qPCR.

Results

• An SVR12 was achieved in all patients.
• Rapid decline in IP-10 levels was observed during treatment, but these were still elevated 24 weeks after treatment as compared to healthy controls (median 53.82 and 39.4 pg/mL, p = 0.02).
• By week 12 of follow-up, there appeared no change in functional IFN-γ HCV-specific T cell responses (77.5 versus 125 SFU/10⁶ PBMC, p = 0.46).
• At follow-up week 12, no difference was identified in plasma miR-122 levels between healthy controls and patients with and without prior RG-101 dosing.