[2-5 AS activity in serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells for chronic active hepatitis C and the relationship to clinical outcome of interferon therapy].
Of 49 patients with chronic hepatitis C treated by interferon (IFN), we measured 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (2-5 AS) activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and serum before and after the IFN therapy and studied the correlation with the clinical outcome. Before IFN therapy, the levels of 2-5 AS in PBMC and serum were significantly higher in patients with chronic hepatitis C than in healthy controls, though there was no correlation between the 2-5 AS activity and the clinical outcome. When PBMC were stimulated with IFN in vitro, the induced 2-5 AS activities in patients with chronic hepatitis C were almost same as those in healthy controls. Among patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype II which was considered relatively resistant to IFN, patients whose HCV was disappeared from serum by IFN therapy showed good induction of 2-5 AS activity by IFN in vitro, whereas patients in which serum HCV remained positive after the therapy showed poor response to IFN in vitro. The levels of 2-5 AS in PBMC 2 months after IFN therapy were still higher in patients whose HCV was continuously disappeared from serum by the therapy (complete remission) than in healthy controls. The in vitro induction of 2-5 AS in patients whose HCV in serum remained positive after the therapy was significantly lower than in patients with complete remission. The induction of 2-5 AS activity in patients to whom IFN therapy was ineffective, significantly decreased after the IFN therapy as compared with the activity measured before the therapy. These findings suggest that measurement of 2-5 AS activity in PBMC in vitro through IFN therapy might be useful for predicting in vivo responsibility to IFN and also knowing the change of the responsibility.
Toda
K
K
Biomedical Laboratory, Kitasato Institute Hospital.
Kumagai
N
N
Iwabuchi
N
N
Suzuki
T
T
Saito
H
H
Morizane
T
T
Hibi
T
T
Ishii
H
H
Tsuchimoto
K
K
D015088:2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase / Q000097:blood*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000201:enzymology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000201:enzymology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D007372:Interferons; D015088:2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase