Variations within hepatitis C virus E2 protein and response to interferon treatment.
To determine whether the hepatitis C virus (HCV) E2 PePHD sequence (aa 659-670; PKR-eIF2alpha phosphorylation homology domain) is the determinant for the response of interferon treatment, we have analyzed PePHD sequences in HCV-infected patients who had received interferon-alfa treatment. The PePHD sequence from all (6/6) of the patients, who are non- or partial responders to the interferon treatment, is the wild-type sequence (RSELSPLLL-TT, consensus sequence of HCV-1a and HCV-1b). However, there are sequence variations from more than half (5/9) of the patients, who are complete responders to the treatment. We have also analyzed the NS5A ISDR sequence (aa 2209-2248, interferon sensitivity-determining region) variation in HCV-1b-infected patients. No such correlation has been observed. Thus, our data suggest that HCV E2 should play a more important role than NS5A in determining the interferon responses.
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Department of Medical Technology, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan. losylo@mail.tcu.edu.tw
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D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence / Q000187:drug effects; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019562:Viral Load
D016898:Interferon-alpha; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C091015:glycoprotein E2, Hepatitis C virus