Effect on treatment outcome of coinfection with SEN viruses in patients with hepatitis C

The newly discovered SEN D and SEN H viruses are transmitted parenterally and can cause post-transfusion hepatitis. We assessed whether coinfection of patients with chronic hepatitis C and SEN D or SEN H correlates with the outcome of treatment with interferon and ribavirin. Of 31 patients with hepatitis C studied, six were positive for SEN D and seven for SEN H (one was positive for both). All of those positive for SEN D and five of those positive for SEN H failed to respond to therapy. Overall response (RNA titre and alanine aminotransferase concentration after treatment) was lower in SEN-infected patients than uninfected patients (p=0·025). We conclude that coinfection with SEN viruses is frequent in chronic hepatitis C patients and might adversely affect the outcome of treatment with interferon and ribavirin.