title: Enhanced anti-HCV activity of interferon alpha 17 subtype.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pegylated interferon alpha 2 (a or b) plus ribavirin is the most effective treatment of chronic hepatitis C but a large proportion of patients do not respond to therapy. So, it is interesting to improve the treatment efficacy. Interferon alpha is a type I interferon composed of 12 different subtypes. Each subtype signals by the Jak-Stat pathway but modulations in the antiviral activity was previously described.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the hepatitis C virus (HCV) culture system, we have tested the anti-HCV activity of each interferon alpha subtypes. We have analyzed the effect of each subtype on the HCV multiplication and the cell-signaling pathway for some subtypes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were divergent effects of IFN alpha subtypes against HCV. We have found that IFN alpha 17 was three times more efficient than IFN alpha 2a on HCV. This efficiency was related to a stronger stimulation of the Jak-Stat pathway.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that IFN alpha17 should be tested therapeutically with a view to improving treatment efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Virology Laboratory-Amiens University Medical Centre, France. aure-dubois@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Aurelie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dubois
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: François
authors.forename: Veronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Descamps
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.forename: Czeslaw
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wychowski
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dubuisson
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Castelain
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Duverlie
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; C471357:IFNA17 protein, human; D016898:Interferon-alpha