Hepatic interferon receptor mRNA expression: clinical relevance and its relationship with effectiveness of interferon plus ribavirin therapy in patients with genotype 1b hepatitis C virus infection.
OBJECTIVE
Hepatic expression of interferon (IFN) receptor mRNA has been shown to correlate with the effectiveness of IFN monotherapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We investigated the expression of hepatic IFN receptor alpha/beta (IFNAR2c) mRNA and its association with the effectiveness of IFN plus ribavirin (RBV) therapy and with the clinical features in patients with HCV genotype 1b (HCV-1b) infection.


METHODS
A total of 42 naive patients who had chronic HCV-1b infection were treated with IFN alpha-2b 3 MU or 5 MU three times weekly plus RBV for 24 weeks. Hepatic IFNAR2c mRNA was quantified by real-time RT-PCR.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference in the mean expression level of IFNAR2c mRNA between patients with sustained virological response (SVR) and non-SVR (0.069 +/-0.042 versus 0.053 +/-0.033, P=0.182). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that lower fibrosis scores (P=0.006) and younger age (P=0.03) were associated with hepatic IFNAR2c mRNA expression with r2=0.34.


CONCLUSIONS
Hepatic IFNAR2c mRNA expression may not be useful for predicting the response to IFN plus RBV therapy in patients with HCV-1b infection, but appeared to correlate inversely with the fibrosis stage and age.
Lee
Chuan-Mo
CM
Division of Hepatogastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan. chmolee@ms15.hinet.net
Kee
Kwong-Ming
KM
Hung
Chao-Hung
CH
Eng
Hock-Liew
HL
Chang
Chien-Hwa
CH
Huang
Chao-Min
CM
Wang
Jing-Houng
JH
Hu
Tsung-Hui
TH
Lu
Sheng-Nan
SN
Changchien
Chi-Sin
CS
Chen
Wei-Jen
WJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017471:Receptors, Interferon / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017471:Receptors, Interferon; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin