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Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA in the blood was measured by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 37 subjects from eight families in which 2 or more persons tested seropositive for antibodies against C100-3 or CP9. HCV-RNA was positive in 17 of 37 subjects. Two or more HCV-RNA-positive subjects were observed in six of the families. Intrafamilial HCV infection was studied by determining the HCV-RNA type (I, II, III or IV) by PCR using type-specific primers. In two families, all of the subjects showed type III infection, and in three other families, all of the subjects showed type II infection, with different types of HCV infections being observed in only one family. The HCV type was uniform in all but one. These findings suggest a possibility of intrafamilial infection between husbands and wives and between members of the same household.

We measured hepatitis C virus antibody titers in 13 patients with chronic hepatitis C to determine whether titration of hepatitis C virus antibody was useful or not, to predict and evaluate the efficacy of interferon (IFN) treatment. During administration of IFN, hepatitis C virus titers declined in all patients. Antibody titers performed before treatment as well as just at the end of treatment did not correlate with change of the alanine aminotransferase levels during administration of IFN. Antibody titers declined continuously after treatment in 5 patients with normal alanine amino-transferase levels for over 6 months after discontinuation of IFN. Antibody titers rose again in 6 patients whose alanine aminotransferase levels fluctuated after treatment. An exceptional pattern of change occurred in 2 patients whose antibody titers declined continuously although their alanine aminotransferase levels fluctuated after treatment. Repeated titration of hepatitis C virus antibody appears to be useful for evaluating the long-term efficacy of IFN treatment.