title: [Galectin-3 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of chronic hepatitis B patients treated with pegylated interferon alpha-2a].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the relationship between therapeutic efficacy of pegylated interferon alpha-2a (Peg-IFNa-2a) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and expression of Galectin-3 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty CHB patients treated with a 48-week course of Peg-IFNa-2a (180 mug/week, subcutaneous) were divided into groups according to treatment response, with 14 patients in the 24-week responder group, 21 patients in the 48-week responder group and 15 patients in the non-responder groups. Twenty healthy volunteers served as the normal control group. Gene and protein expression of Galectin-3 in PBMCs was detected by PCR and westen blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PBMC expression of Galectin-3 was significantly higher in the effective treatment (responders) group compared to the control group and the non-responder group. In addition, the 24-week responders had significantly higher than the 48-week responders, and the 48-week responders had significantly higher Galectin-3 expression than the non-responders at 24 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Peg-IFNa-2a may inhibit HBV DNA replication by up-regulating the expression of Galectin-3 in PBMCs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Hefei 230001, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xiaoling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001798:Blood Proteins; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D037161:Galectins; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D001798:Blood Proteins; D037502:Galectin 3; D037161:Galectins; D016898:Interferon-alpha; C428445:LGALS3 protein, human; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a