title: Secondary structure of the amino-terminal region of HCV NS3 and virological response to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: The aim of the study was to identify a predictive marker for the virological response in hepatitis C virus 1b (HCV-1b)-infected patients treated with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin therapy. A total of 139 patients with chronic hepatitis C who received therapy for 48 weeks were enrolled. The secondary structure of the 120 residues of the amino-terminal HCV-1b non-structural region 3 (NS3) deduced from the amino acid sequence was classified into two major groups: A and B. The association between HCV NS3 protein polymorphism and virological response was analyzed in patients infected with group A (n = 28) and B (n = 40) isolates who had good adherence to both pegylated interferon and ribavirin administration (>95% of the scheduled dosage) for 48 weeks. A sustained virological response (SVR) representing successful HCV eradication occurred in 33 (49%) in the 68 patients. Of the 28 patients infected with the group A isolate, 18 (64%) were SVR, whereas of the 40 patients infected with the group B isolate only 15 (38%) were SVR. The proportion of virological responses differed significantly between the two groups (P < 0.05). These results suggest that polymorphism in the secondary structure of the HCV-1b NS3 amino-terminal region influences the virological response to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin therapy, and that virus grouping based on this polymorphism can contribute to prediction of the outcome of this therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan.
authors.forename: Mai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanjo
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Rika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishise
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haga
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okumoto
authors.forename: Junitsu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Hisayoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Togashi
authors.forename: Kazuto
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Yasuharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Shamy
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shoji
authors.forename: Hak
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hotta
authors.forename: Sumio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C084422:NS3 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b