The effect of antiviral treatment on immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene rearrangement in patients with chronic HCV infection.

Detection of IgH rearrangement was performed by FW3/J_H seminested PCR in PBMCs from patients with HCV-infected individuals. Lanes 1 and 3: pretreatment bands represent the presence of IgH rearrangement; lane 2: disappearance of the band, indicating the loss of the proliferating B-cell clone upon completion of antiviral therapy. The patient had virologic response with clearance of HCV RNA at the end of treatment. Lane 4: persistence of the proliferative B-cell clone at the end of antiviral treatment. This patient had no virologic response. Lane 5: negative control; lane 6: positive control; lane 7: molecular weight marker. PCR products were separated on 2.5% agarose gel.