Yonsei Med J.
1999 Oct;40(5):430-438. 10.3349/ymj.1999.40.5.430.
The prediction of interferon-alpha therapeutic effect by sequence variation of the HCV hypervariable region 1
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Science, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Korea. gihankhys@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr
- 2Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea.
- 3Department of Anesthesiology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea.
- 4Department of Clinical Pathology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- 5Department of Internal Medicine and the Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- KMID: 711674
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.1999.40.5.430
Abstract
- Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) has been used to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced hepatitis, but it has been effective in only about half of the treated patients, with recurrence appearing in the other half. As a consequence of the possible complications associated with IFN-alpha and the high cost of treatment, it has become extremely important to select the proper patients for IFN-alpha treatment. In our previous study, we found that the quasispecies in the hypervariable region (HVR) 1 of HCV were various and that a new quasispecies can appear in non-responders and/or lead to deterioration in the patients' condition. The preliminary data we obtained in the process of our previous research led us to believe that the quasispecies of HVR 1 has something to do with the effect of IFN-alpha. Thus, in this investigation, we tried to determine the predictive factors of IFN-alpha therapy. Thirty patients with HCV infection were treated with IFN-alpha. Among them, 15 patients recovered after six months IFN-alpha treatment, but the remaining 15 patients showed no response after six months IFN-alpha treatment. We cloned HVR 1 DNA by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and examined the quasispecies of HVR 1. As the quasispecies of HVR 1 in non-responders varied more than in the complete remission group, we concluded that the sequence variation in HVR 1 of HCV can be used to predict the effect of IFN-alpha.
MeSH Terms
-
Adult
Aged
Amino Acid Sequence
Female
Genotype
Hepatitis C/virology
Hepatitis C/drug therapy*
Hepatitis C-Like Viruses/classification*
Human
Interferon-alpha/therapeutic use*
Male
Middle Age
Molecular Sequence Data
Viral Nonstructural Proteins/genetics
Viral Nonstructural Proteins/chemistry*
Viral Nonstructural Proteins/blood
- Full Text Links
-
- Actions
-
Cited
- CITED
-
- Close
- Share
-
- Similar articles
-
- Effect of alpha-interferon treatment on serum ALT levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C
- Sequence Diversity of E2/NSl of Hepatitis C Virus from Koreans
- Acquired Reactive Perforating Collagenosis in a Chronic HCV Hepatitis Patient Who was Treated with Interferon Alpha
- Resolution of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Following Interferon-alpha Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C
- Completion of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Treatment in Interferon-Induced Major Depressive Disorder with Psychotic Features
