Detection of interferon-alpha expression by PCR in patients with chronic hepatitis C and hepatitis non-A, non-B.
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to examine expression of interferon-alpha (IFN A) genes in general and the expression of messenger RNA (mRNA) encoding the subtypes IFN-alpha-2 and IFN-alpha-4 in blood and liver biopsy samples from patients with chronic hepatitis C or hepatitis non-A, non-B (HC/HNANB) infection entered into a trial of IFN-alpha-2a therapy. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy controls and HC/HNANB infected patients were studied for their capacity to produce transcripts encoding IFN-alpha after stimulation with Sendai virus. Expression at the level of mRNA for IFN A and the subtypes IFN A2 and A4 was detected in both controls and HC/HNANB infected patients PBMC and no significant difference was seen in expression of IFN A transcripts or level of total IFN-alpha secreted into culture supernatants between controls and patients. Interferon A, and specifically IFN A2 and IFN A4 transcripts were detected in a high proportion of liver biopsies from patients with HC/HNANB infection. The presence of IFN A mRNA (and specifically IFN A2 and IFN A4) showed no correlation to histological improvement nor response to therapy. The use of PCR to detect those IFN A genes that are not expressed, thereby identifying subtypes that may be lacking, could be the key to the choice of IFN-alpha subtypes that are used for effective therapy.
Brandt
E R
ER
Centre for Molecular Biology and Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Prahran, Victoria, Australia.
Devenish
R J
RJ
Hertzog
P J
PJ
Dudley
F J
FJ
Linnane
A W
AW
D000328:Adult; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins