Anti-rods/rings autoantibody generation in hepatitis C patients during interferon-α/ribavirin therapy

Table 1 Summary of findings relating the presence of anti-rods and rings autoantibodies to hepatitis C virus treatment outcome

Publication	Patient cohort	Results	Conclusions
Covini et al[21] (2012)	Italian cohort:	The prevalence of anti-RR antibody was significantly higher in REL/NR (33%) than in SVR (11%, P = 0.037)	Higher prevalence of anti-RR in REL
	REL/NR n = 30;
	SVR n = 45;
	(total = 75)
Keppeke et al[20] (2012)	Brazilian cohort:	The proportion of NR was equivalent in the 39 patients with anti-RR reactivity (77%) when compared with the 86 anti-RR negative (64%, P = 0.150)	No association between anti-RR reactivity and treatment outcome
	Anti-RR reactivity n = 39;
	No anti-RR reactivity n = 86;
	(total = 125)
Carcamo et al[19] (2013)	United States cohort: n = 47; Italian cohort: n = 46; (total = 93)	In the United States cohort, NR/REL had significantly higher anti-RR titers compared to SVR (about 1:3200 vs 1:100, P = 0.0016)	Higher titer of anti-RR in REL
		In the Italian cohort, REL had significantly higher titers when compared to NR and SVR (P = 0.004 and P = 0.015, respectively)
Novembrino et al[22] (2014)	Italian cohort:	Anti-RR reactivity was significantly more frequent in REL (56%) than in SVR (30%) or NR (12%) (P = 0.0282)	Higher prevalence of anti-RR in REL
	SVR n = 53;
	REL n = 27;
	NR n = 8;
	(total = 88)

NR: Non-responders, patients who did not respond to therapy; REL: Relapsers, hepatitis C virus viral load increased six months after end of treatment; SVR: Sustained virological response, patients that eliminated the virus completely.