This study was conducted to clarify if the long-term notype is important clinically because it is one of the histological outcome among patients with chronic hepa-predictive markers of the response to interferon thertitis C differs according to whether they are infected apy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. 16,17 with genotype 1 or 2 hepatitis C virus (HCV). We examSeveral investigators have reported that the HCV ined 140 patients with chronic hepatitis C. The HCV ge-genotype is associated with the stage of type C chronic notype was determined by the enzyme-linked immuno-liver disease. 18,19 However, it has not been sufficiently sorbent assay (ELISA) based on genotypes 1 and 2 clarified whether the prognosis differs among hepatitis specific recombinant proteins; genotype 1 was found in C patients infected with different genotypes. In this 100 patients (96 were 1b and 4 were indeterminate) and study, we compared the long-term histological outcome genotype 2 in 36. The two groups showed no significant of chronic hepatitis in patients infected with HCV genodifference for any clinical background features. Deterioration of the grade of liver histology during the follow-up type 1 with that in patients infected with HCV genoperiod was seen in 68.0% of the patients with genotype 1 type 2 to clarify the difference of pathogenicity between as compared with 41.7% of those with genotype 2 (P these genotypes.õ .01). Similarly, the deterioration of the stage of liver histology was more common in the former group than PATIENTS AND METHODS in the latter (63.0% and 38.9%, respectively; P õ .05). The mean serum HCV-RNA titer was significantly higher inPatients. The subjects were 140 patients (100 men and 40 the patients with genotype 1 than in those with genotype women aged 18 to 59 years) selected from among a total of 758 2 (P õ .001), and multivariate analysis showed the titer patients with chronic hepatitis C who underwent histological was one of the independent factors of the deterioration examination of the liver between 1966 and 1988 at Shinshu of the stage (P Å .0044). This phenomenon may be related University Hospital. All patients meeting the following critein part to the difference in pathogenicity between the ria were included in this study: histological reexamination two HCV genotypes. In conclusion, our results suggest performed at least 5 years after the initial examination; that more severe progression of chronic hepatitis C is younger than 60 years of age at the time of the initial exami- titis B surface antigen, and antibody to human immunodefiAddress reprint requests to: Kendo Kiyosawa, M.D., The Second Departciency virus were measured using commercially available en-

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