title: [Generation of neutralizing anti-interferon antibodies and factors influencing their production in chronic hepatitis B patients receiving recombinant interferon-alpha treatment].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the generation of neutralizing anti-interferon-alpha antibodies (NA) in patients with chronic hepatitis B in the course of interferon-alpha treatment, and analyze the factors influencing the production of the antibodies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 181 patients with histologically confirmed chronic hepatitis B were enrolled in this study. Recombinant interferon-alpha 1b (rIFN-alpha 1b) was given subcutaneously 3 times a week (5 MU once) in a treatment course lasting for 6 to 37 months (median 10.0 months). In each case, serum NA was detected with antiviral neutralization bioassay, HBeAg with enzyme-linked immunoassay (EIA) and hepatitis B virus DNA with fluorescent quantitative PCR every 1 to 3 months starting from 3 months after the initiation of the treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 181 patients, 61 were positive for NA during the treatment course, resulting in an overall NA occurrence rate of 33.7%. The overall incidence rate, as well as the overall prevalence rate, was significantly higher in male than in female patients (39.1% vs 20.8%,   (2)=5.622, P=0.018), and no correlations of NA generation was observed with age, pretreatment serum ALT level, serum HBeAg, serum HBV DNA level, liver histological findings or treatment course. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the only factor in relation with NA production was gender. The prevalence rates of NA varied significantly with the treatment courses (   (2)=98.051, P=0.000). Bivariate correlation analysis showed that the prevalence rate of NA, but not the incidence of NA, was strongly related with the treatment course (r=0.855, P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In chronic hepatitis B patients treated with rIFN-alpha 1b, the prevalence rate of NA, instead of the incidence of NA, is significantly related to the treatment course. NA was more likely to develop in male patients to contribute to their poorer antiviral response in comparison with the female patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. mauqg@fimmu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Qian-guo
authors.initials: QG
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Kang-xian
authors.initials: KX
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Ming-xia
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: DinglLi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jin-lin
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins