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Background: The key role of miRNA expression in incidence and progression of colorectal cancer (CLC) have been developed over the last decade. Materials & methods: A total of 153 subjects were enrolled into two phases: 14 selected miRNAs were first evaluated in 50 subjects, then miR-26a and miR-26b relative expression were further evaluated in 103 subjects and their target protein MMP-9 was measured. Results: miR-26a and -26b showed highly significant overexpression. Both miR-26a and -26b (p

Objective This study aimed at exploring the potential role of a panel of serum micro-RNA (miRNA) markers in liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diagnosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Methods The study included 157 chronic HCV patients and 62 HCC patients who presented to the Cairo University Center for Hepatic Fibrosis, Endemic Medicine Department, from 2015 to 2017. Relevant clinical and laboratory data were collected and sera were subjected to miRNA expression profiling. Eleven miRNA markers were studied and receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed to investigate the best cutoff values of the miRNAs that showed altered expression in HCC compared to HCV-associated advanced fibrosis. Results miRNA expression profiling revealed 5 miRNAs (miR-124, miR-141, miR-205, miR-208a, miR-499a) were significantly upregulated and 2 miRNAs were significantly downregulated (miR-103a, miR-15a) in HCC compared to advanced fibrosis patients. No significant difference was observed in miRNA expression between advanced fibrosis and early hepatic fibrosis apart from a significant downregulation of miR-155-5p in advanced fibrosis. Conclusion Serum miRNAs could serve as potential diagnostic tools for the diagnosis of HCC.

Objectives Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third lethal malignancy worldwide. Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) mediates several growth factors signaling pathways and induces abnormal genes expression, which leads to colorectal carcinogenesis. We aimed to comprehensively assess the expression of miRNA-200c, miRNA-203a, miRNA-223 in Egyptian CRC tissue and their corresponding serum samples and to explore if they have any potential prognostic or diagnostic value for CRC patients. Methods A total of 195 subjects (120 CRC patients and 75 healthy controls) participated in exploration and validation sets. The relative expression of miRNA-200c, miRNA-203a, and miRNA-223 was measured in both CRC tissue and serum samples, and the expressed miRNAs were compared in different CRC grades and types and the prognostic value was evaluated. Results The expression levels of miRNA-200c and miRNA-203a were reduced in CRC tissue samples than adjacent noncancerous tissues. miRNA-223 level was significantly upregulated in both CRC tissue and serum samples with a positive association between them (r = 0.85, P = 0.001). The miRNA-223 can effectively discriminate CRC patients from controls and can significantly differentiate between colon and rectal cancer patients. The association between serum miRNA-223 expression and CRC development was validated in the second set and the ROC curve showed highly significant prognostic value with 90.1% sensitivity, 87% specificity, and area under the curve of 0.914 (95% confidence interval: 0.830-0.978, P = 0.0001). These results showed the association between miRNA-223 upregulation and the CRC carcinogenesis. Conclusion Circulating miRNA-223 can be a potential noninvasive prognostic biomarker for Egyptian CRC patients.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) rates are affected by genetics, ethnicity, and environmental factors; it is considered one of the most aggressive human malignancies with high mortality and morbidity rates worldwide due, in part, to its asymptomatic nature during the early stages of disease. Objective: Owing to the impact of microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation on CRC development and progression, this study was conducted to explore the expression levels of mir-21, -23a, and -27a in the sera and tissues of Egyptian CRC patients and to evaluate their diagnostic efficacy based on circulating levels. Methods: In the test phase, the relative expression levels of the studied miRNAs were evaluated in the sera of 70 participants (35 CRC patients and 35 healthy controls) using quantitative real-time-polymerase chain reaction and to verify their diagnostic value. The exploratory phase was designed to validate the tumor-derived trait by comparing the miRNA levels in the cancerous and adjacent noncancerous tissues. Results: The relative expression levels of the studied miRNAs were significantly upregulated in both serum and tumor tissues of the patients compared to their corresponding controls. In addition, significant positive correlations were found between the relative expression levels of the studied miRNAs in serum samples and their levels in the matched CRC tissues. The serum expression levels of mir-21 and -23a were more predictive of CRC than mir-27a. Conclusion: Circulating mir-21, -23a, and -27a expression levels appear to be valuable diagnostic biomarkers for CRC, especially when combined.

Liver fibrosis is one of the chronic liver disorders delineated by excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins. Fibrogenic cytokines, including TGF-β and angiotensin II contribute toward the activation of hepatic stellate cells that have been identified as the major collagen-producing cells in damaged liver. Advanced form of liver fibrosis can lead to liver cirrhosis and liver failure that often require transplantation for remedy. Thus, development of new therapeutic avenues is of paramount importance. Molecular and cellular studies have implied the role of JAK1-STAT3 induced by TGF-β in liver fibrosis. Another study revealed that disruption of JAK2-STAT5 pathway induces hepatic steatosis. The importance of JAK-STAT pathway in liver pathophysiology has been demonstrated in murine model studies. In this chapter, we highlight the role of all the STAT molecules in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis.

Background Liver fibrosis results from a wound healing response to chronic injury, which leads to excessive matrix deposition. Genome wide association studies have showen transcriptional dysregulation in mild and severe liver fibrosis. Recent studies suggested that genetic markers may be able to define the exact stage of liver fibrosis. Aim To define genes or genetic pathways that could serve as markers for staging or as therapeutic targets to halt progression of liver fibrosis. Methods The study was performed on 105 treatment naive HCV genotype 4 infected patients [F0–F2, n = 56; F3–F4, n = 49] and 16 healthy subjects. The study included PCR array on 84 fibrosis related genes followed by customization of a smaller array consisting of 11 genes that were designed on the bases of results obtained from the larger array. Genes that displayed significant dysregulation at mRNA levels were validated at protein levels. Results and discussion Two major pathways exhibited high dysregulation in early fibrosis as compared with controls or when compared with late fibrosis, these were the TGFβ - related pathway genes and Matrix - deposition associated genes. Hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activators i.e. TGFβ pathway genes [TGFβ1, 2 and 3, their receptors TGFβR1 and 2, signaling molecules SMAD genes and PDGF growth factors] were considerably over-expressed at transcriptional levels as early as F0, whereas expression of their inhibitor TGIF1 was simultaneously down regulated. Matrix proteins including collagen and MMPs were upregulated in early fibrosis whereas tissue inhibitors TIMPs 1 and 2 began over expression in late fibrosis. Expression at protein levels was concordant with RNA data excluding dysregulation at post transcriptional levels. Conclusion Since these 2 gene sets are closely interrelated regarding HSC activation and proliferation, we assume that the current findings suggest that they are favorable targets to further search for stage specific markers.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading cause of liver diseases worldwide. At present, drug combinations of different classes of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) are used as treatment options for HCV, in which sofosbuvir (SOF) is the common DAA among different therapeutic regimes. In Egypt, SOF plus daclatasvir (DCV) is the widely used anti-HCV treatment protocol. Herein, we aimed to assess the association between 3 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the genes coding for 2 SOF metabolizing enzymes: histidine triad nucleotide-binding protein 1 (HINT1) rs4696/rs7728773 and nucleoside diphosphate kinase 1 (NME1) rs3760468, together with the most potent anti-HCV innate molecule, i.e., Interferon lambda 3 (IFNL3) rs12979860 and the response to SOF/DCV in Egyptian patients chronically infected with genotype 4 (GT4). SNPs were genotyped using real-time PCR in DNA from patients who achieved sustained virological response (SVR) at 12 weeks post-SOF/DCV treatment (i.e., responders; n = 188) and compared with patients who failed to achieve SVR12 (i.e., non-responders; n = 109) or healthy controls (n = 62). Our results demonstrated that patients bearing HINT1 rs7728773 CT/TT (odds ratio 2.119, 95% CI 1.263–3.559, p = 0.005) and IFNL3 rs12979860 CC (odds ratio 3.995, 95% CI 2.126–7.740, p = 0.0001) were more likely to achieve SVR12. However, neither HINT1 rs4696 nor NME1 rs3760468 seems to contribute to the responsiveness to SOF/DCV. Binary regression analysis defined 5 predictor factors independently associated with SVR12: age, bilirubin, HB, early stages of fibrosis, and combined HINT1 rs7728773 and IFNL3 rs12979860 favorable and mixed genotypes (odds ratio 3.134, 95% CI 1.518–6.47, p = 0.002), and that was confirmed by the combined ROC curve for the 5 predictor factors (AUC = 0.91, 95% CI 0.869–0.95, P = 0.0001). In conclusion, these data suggest that the two SNPs have the potential in predicting the response rate to SOF/DCV treatment in patients infected with HCV GT4. This study is the first to investigate the pharmacogenetics of SOF metabolizing enzyme and introduce HINT1 rs7728773 as a novel SNP that predict the treatment efficacy.

The major complication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the induction of hepatic fibrosis. In this study, we investigated the correlation between the expression level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA) at mRNA and protein levels and the progression of HCV-related liver fibrosis. One hundred twenty subjects were selected for this study: 15 controls and 105 chronic HCV patients with different fibrosis grades (44 F0-F1 and 61 F2-F4). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to measure VEGFA mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, while enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the secreted VEGFA protein in serum. Both qRT-PCR and ELISA results showed that HCV patients have significantly higher VEGFA expression than that of controls (P = 0.036 and 0.043, respectively). Moreover, patients with late fibrotic stages (F2-F4) exhibited the highest levels of VEGFA mRNA and protein (P = 0.008 and 0.041, respectively) when compared with controls. An area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC of the ROC) for the circulatory VEGFA protein between HCV patients with fibrosis and healthy controls was 0.92 (P = 0.043). Our data suggest that VEGFA protein is a promising noninvasively diagnostic biomarker for HCV-induced liver fibrosis.

Herein, we examined the association between cytomegalovirus (CMV) coinfection and the progression of liver fibrosis in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and investigated the effect of CMV coinfection on JAK-STAT pathway. CMV DNAemia was detected by PCR in DNA from controls (n = 120), and HCV patients with early (F0-F1, n = 131) and late (F2-F4, n = 179) liver fibrosis. By quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR), we examined the profile of 8 JAK-STAT transcripts in PBMCs RNA from 90 HCV patients (39 CMV positive and 51 CMV negative), 4 CMV mono-infected patients, and 15 controls. Our results demonstrated higher incidence of CMV in F2-F4 group than in control (OR 5.479, 95% CI 3.033–9.895, p

This study aimed at assessment of the antiviral activity of an amphipathic α-helical peptide derived from the hepatitis C virus NS5A known as C5A virocidal peptide against different HCV genotypes. Two sources of HCV virus for in vitro study: HCV genotype 4 sera samples and JFH-1 infectious culture system genotype 2a were used. Several virocidal peptide concentrations were tested to determine the concentration that inhibits HCV propagation in Huh 7.5 cells according to three different prortocols (pre-infection, coinfection, and post infection). The capacity of the virocidal peptide to block HCV in Huh7.5 cells infected with different 10 individual serum samples was evaluated. In the pre-infection protocol, virocidal concentration (20, 50, and 75 μM) showed no viral RNA. In the co-infection protocol, virocidal concentrations (10, 20, 50, 75 μM) showed no viral RNA while in post-infection protocol, 75 μM was the only concentration that blocked the HCV activity. Results of Huh7.5 cell line transfected with HCV cc J6/JFH and treated with virocidal peptide revealed that only the higher virocidal concentration (75 μM) showed no amplification. The percentage of virocidal blocking in the 10 HCV individual serum samples was 60%. In conclusion, the C5A virocidal peptide has potent antiviral activity against HCV.

This article aims at testing several in vitro systems with various viral sources and cell lines for propagation of HCV to evaluate goat antibodies raised against three E2 epitopes in viral neutralization experiments. Four human cell lines (Huh-7, Huh-7.5, HepG2, and CaCo2) were tested using two different HCV viral sources; Genotype 4 infected sera and J6/JFH HCV cc particles. Neutralization capacity of goat Abs against conserved E2 epitopes; p412 (a.a 412-419), p517 (a.a 517-531), and p430 (a.a 430-447) were examined in the above mentioned in vitro systems. Although infection with patients' sera seems to mimic the in vitro situation, it has limited replication rates as compared with HCV cc particularly in Huh7.5 cells. Non-HCV adapted Huh-7 cells were also found susceptible for transfection with J6/JFH virus but at much slower kinetics. The results of the neutralization assay showed that anti p412 and anti p517 were highly neutralizing to HCVcc. Our data demonstrate that antibodies directed against the viral surface glycoprotein E2 reduced the infectivity of the J6/JFH virus and are promising agents for immunotherapy and HCV vaccine development.

BACKGROUND Methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism was reported as a genetic variant in liver steatosis and fibrosis. This is a study of the association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and HCV core with severity of steatosis in HCV GT4 patients. METHODS 111 HCV patients and 112 control subjects were recruited. Polymorphism was detected by RFLP analysis, core Ag was detected by ELISA. RESULTS Combined HCV infection and MTHFR C677T polymorphism increases the risk to develop steatosis by 3.63- and 5.21-fold in subjects with single (CT) and double (TT) substitutions, respectively. Patients with chronic HCV infection had a 2.88- and 8.57-fold higher risk to develop steatosis in CT and TT genotypes, respectively, than patients with the (CC) genotype. No significant difference in core Ag titers were observed. CONCLUSIONS MTHFR C677T polymorphism is a valuable genetic marker for steatosis, while HCV core Ag titer had no association with grades of steatosis in GT4 infections.

Background IL28B single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) play important roles in the management of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections and are strongly associated with spontaneous and treatment-induced HCV clearance. Objectives In the present study, the association between IL28B variants and the progression of HCV infection in Egyptian patients infected with type 4a virus will be examined. Patients and Methods Frequencies of the protective genotype C/C of SNP, rs12979860 were determined in healthy subjects, spontaneous resolvers, and chronic HCV type 4 patients with low F scores and in patients with end stage liver disease (ESLD). This study included a total of 404 subjects. Patients infected with HCV type 4a (n = 304) were divided into; chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with low F scores (CHC, n = 110), end stage liver disease (n = 110), liver cirrhosis (LC) (n = 35) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients (n = 75), spontaneous resolvers of HCV infection (n = 84) were also included. A healthy group representing the Egyptian population (n = 100) was also included in the genotyping of IL28B. The later was typed via a polymerase chain reaction based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay analysis on purified genomic DNA extracted from all individuals. Results A significant increase (P < 0.0005) was observed in frequencies of IL-28B rs12979860 C/C genotypes in the healthy population, than in the CHC, LC and HCC groups (C/C = 48%, 13%, 0%.and 0% respectively). On the other hand the C/C genotype was significantly higher (P < 0.0005) in spontaneous resolvers than in healthy subjects. A comparable significant increase in the frequency of C/T allele accompanied by mild elevation of T/T allele frequency, were detected along the progression towards ESLD. Conclusions Genotype C/C is associated with viral clearance during acute infection. The sharp decline in the C/C genotype from healthy to CHC subjects and the total absence of the C/C genotype in ESLD suggests a central role of this genotype against HCV disease progression.

Background and Aim: Response to interferon therapy and disease progression in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients differs among individuals, suggesting a possibility of a contribution of host genetic factors. 2′-5′-oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1), an important component of the innate immune system with a proven antiviral function, may therefore have a relationship with the response to interferon therapy and clinical course of HCV disease. Our aim was to determine the frequency of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at exon 7 splice acceptor site (SAS) of the OAS1 gene in relation to the interferon response and status of HCV infection. Methods: A 203 bp fragment containing exon 7 SAS was amplified in 70 HCV chronic patients and 50 healthy controls. SNP was examined using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) genotyping method. Correlations of SNP genotypes with response to interferon and clinical status of patients were statistically analyzed. Results: There was an increasing trend of response from AA to AG to GG genotypes (P = 0.007). Genotype AA was associated with non-response to interferon and higher degree of liver fibrosis (P = 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed this SNP as independent and a significant determinant of the outcome of interferon therapy (odds ratio 4.913 [95% confidence interval 1.365–8.2], P = 0.006). Conclusions: This is the first study to show a significant association between the functional SNP at exon 7 SAS of OAS1 gene and the viral response to interferon in chronic HCV patients. Patients with AA genotype were associated with progressive HCV disease and viral resistance to interferon therapy. This OAS SNP is a potential bio-marker to predict IFN response in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Background and Aim: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a ubiquitous pathogen that infects the majority of humans. Co-infection of CMV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) may deteriorate the prognosis of HCV-infected patients. This study was conducted to examine the role of CMV reactivation in determining the response rate to treatment with interferon and ribavirin therapy in chronic HCV patients. Methods: Viral loads and genotyping were assessed using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Innolipa systems, respectively. Reactivation of CMV in HCV patients who were all positive for CMV immunoglobulin G antibodies was tested by amplification of the gB1 gene using the end-point dilution quantitative-nested polymerase chain reaction method. Results: CMV DNA was detected in 89.7% of non-responders and in 34.6% of sustained virological responders. Patients with reactivated CMV had significantly higher fibrosis scores (72.7%) than those with undetectable CMV DNA (23.8%, P = 0.002). Patients with positive CMV had higher rates of non-response and relapse (79.5%) than those with negative CMV DNA (19%). Chronic HCV patients with latent CMV had higher rates of response (81%) to treatment than those with reactivated CMV (20.5%, P

Introduction: The highest estimated prevalence of HCV infection has been reported in Egypt, nearly 12% mostly type 4. Currently, a commercial vaccine to protect this high risk population as well as global HCV infected patients is not available. Objectives: In the present study, we aim at: (1) examining the viral binding capacities of purified monospecific polyclonal murine antibodies raised against genetically conserved viral protein sequences, i.e. synthetic peptides derived from those sequences located within envelope proteins and (2) assessment of immunogenic properties and safety parameters of those peptides individually and in a vaccine format in mice. Methods: Purified IgG Abs from immunized mice were used in immunocapture RT-PCR experiments to test viral neutralization by Abs raised against each of 4 peptides termed p35 (E1), p36 (E2), p37 (E2) and p38 (E2). Swiss mice were immunized with each of the 3 peptides (p35, p37 and p38) which generated neutralizing antibodies in immunocapture experiments. Antibody responses to corresponding peptides were determined using different routes of administration, different adjuvants, different doses and at different time points post-injection. To explore the dose range for future pharmacological studies, three doses namely 50 ng, 10g and 50g/25 gm mouse body weight were tested for biochemical and histopathological changes in several organs. Results: Murine Abs against p35, p37 and p38 but not p36 showed HCV neutralization in immunocapture experiments. Subcutaneous injection of peptides elicited higher responses than i.m. and i.p. Immunization with Multiple Antigenic Peptide (MAP) form or coupled to Al PO4 elicited the highest Ab responses. Peptide doses of 50 ng/25 gm body weight or less were effective and safe, however dose assessment still requires further study. Histopathological changes were observed in animals that received doses ∼1000 times higher than the potential therapeutic dose. Conclusion: Exploration of humoral immunogenicity, neutralization capacity and safety suggested that the peptides presented herein are candidate vaccine components for further preclinical assessment. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

IFN orchestrates the expression of various genes to halt hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication with the possibility of either reduced or increased liver fibrosis; due to controlled viral replication or overproduction of inflammatory mediators, repectively. In this study, we examined the transcriptional profiling of type I IFN related genes in HCV-chronically infected patients with varying degrees of liver fibrosis. PCR array was used to examine the expression of 84 type I IFN related genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) RNA from 12 treatment-naïve chronic HCV patients (5 F0-F1 and 7 F2-F4) and 5 healthy subjects. We further validated our results by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) in 103 treatment-naïve chronic HCV patients (43 F0-F1 and 60 F2-F4) and 15 controls. PCR array data revealed dysregulation in TLR7 pathway. The expression of TLR7 was decreased by 4 folds and MyD88 was increased by 3 folds in PBMCs of F2-F4 patients when compared to the healthy volunteers (p = 0.03 and 0.002, respectively). In addition, IRF7 and TLR7 showed dramatic downregulation (6 and 8 folds, respectively) in F2-F4 patients when compared to F0-F1 ones. qRT-PCR confirmed the altered expression patterns of TLR7 and MyD88 in F2-F4 patients when compared to either controls or F0-F1 patients. However, by qRT-PCR, IRF7 and NF-κB1 (TLR7 pathway transcription factors) exhibited similar mRNA abundance among F2-F4 and F0-F1 patients. These results suggest that TLR7 and MyD88 are possible candidates as biomarkers for the progression of HCV-induced liver fibrosis and/ or targets for therapeutic intervention.

BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The molecular mechanisms of HCV-associated carcinogenesis are unknown. We aim to investigate the alteration of the total nuclear DNA content (ploidy) in different histopathological liver tissues infected with HCV and their relation to the seropositivity of HCV RNA. METHODS Blood and liver tissues were collected from 26 patients. Diagnosis was carried out according to clinical and pathological examinations by specialized physicians. HCV RNA was detected in patients' sera and tissue samples by RT-PCR. To examine nuclear DNA ploidy, liver tissues were stained with blue Fulgen using the image analysis techniques. Finally, the patients' DNA content was examined by histochemical analysis depending on the optical density of DNA from liver biopsies using the grey image menu in each specimen. RESULTS The HCV RT-PCR results demonstrated that 13/26 (50%) patients had detectable HCV RNA in their sera samples while 18/26 (69%) had detectable HCV RNA in liver tissues. The DNA content from those patients measured by image cytometry showed a high level of alteration of nuclear DNA ploidy and proliferation in liver tissues with HCC, less alteration of nuclear DNA ploidy in cirrhotic patients, and least proliferation nearly normal in liver fibrosis patients. Moreover, the results of histochemical analysis confirmed the DNA image cytometry results and showed that positive HCV RNA liver tissues had more DNA ploidy than negative HCV RNA liver tissues with statistical significance (p-value < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS HCV positive liver tissue had alterations in DNA content (ploidy) which may lead to liver disease progression, malignant transformation of the liver cells and development of hepatocellular carcinoma.

We aimed to establish Human cell lines producing human monoclonal antibodies to the envelope E1/E2 protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Two protocols for EBV immortalization of CD22⁺ cells separated from HCV positive patients were used; 1) Immortalization with 100% EBV only, 2) immortalization by 30% EBV and CPG2006. Immortalization was checked microscopically and verified by screening the culture supernatant for antibody production using dot blot and ELISA analysis. ELISA plates were coated by HCV E1/E2 derived from cell lysate transfected by plasmid expressed HCV E1/E2. Also we tested the reactivity of human antibodies based on ELISA plates coating with one linear peptides derived from HCV E1 (a.a 315-319) and two peptides derived from HCV E2 (a.a 412-419) and (a.a 517-530). Neutralization activity was measured using H77C HCV retroviral pseudoparticles (HCVpp). Fifteen clones secreting human immunoglobulin G against HCV E1/E2 protein were isolated. Results of ELISA plates coated with HCV peptides showed that one antibody was binding to E2 peptide (a.a 517-530), and two antibodies binding to HCV E2 peptide (a.a 412-419). The three generated antibodies showed extremely neutralization activity against HCV pp. The three human antibodies were IgG3 and IgG2. These antibodies may be useful for passive immunotherapy of HCV infection.

Background: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a globally serious public health issue. Objectives: In this study, we investigated CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5-59029) polymorphism which is considered an important component of the immune system in determining the outcome of HCV infection. Its critical role as a marker in response to interferon therapy of HCV infection is also investigated besides its effect on other clinical patient factors. Patients and Methods: This study was conducted on 82 Egyptian patients with chronic Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection who received PEG-INF + Ribavirin treatment for 48 weeks. The study was also conducted on 50 healthy controls (with negative results for HCV antibody and RNA PCR). Full history of patients in this study was recorded. Clinical and histological examinations, qualitative HCV nested RT- PCR, quantitative real -time PCR, and genotyping of HCV RNA genome were performed. CCR5-59029 polymorphism with nucleotide substitution from G to A was amplified. The amplicons were digested with restriction endonuclease Bsp 1286I, and produced RFLPs of the CCR5 genotypes were determined. Results: The present study showed a significant association between the functional SNP of CCR5 gene and the viral response to interferon in chronic HCV Egyptian patients. It was shown that the higher fibrosis stages (F2-F4) had significant association with nonresponse to treatment compared to the lower fibrosis stages (F0-F1) (95% confidence: 5.497 - 55.074, P = 0.0001). In addition, worse liver activity grade (A2-A3) had a very highly significant association with non-responder HCV patients compared to those with better liver activity grade (A1) (95% confidence: 2.242 - 20.974, P = 0.0007). Most importantly HCV patients with G allele had a high significant association with nonresponse to treatment, higher fibrosis stages and worse liver activity grades, while the A allele had a high significant association with sustained response, low fibrosis stages and relatively better liver activity grade (95% confidence: 3.347 - 15.036, P = 0.0001). Conclusions: SNPs within the CCR5 gene should be considered as an important factor used in combination with other host gene SNPs when developing a mathematical model for anticipating response to HCV therapy.

We characterized viral neutralization by a murine monoclonal antibody (mAb315) developed against conserved E1 specific epitope aa 315-323 at pre- and post-binding steps of infection into Huh7 cells. Detection of native virus in infected Huh7 cells by mAb315 were demonstrated by immunostaining. Inhibitions of viral entry by three different concentrations of mAb315 were measured by intracellular amplification of HCV RNA post infection. HCV RNA positive sera from 24 patients were used to infect Huh7 cell line in absence or presence of mouse monoclonal antibody produced in Balb/c mice or culture supernatant of mouse hybrid cells. Monoclonal Ab mAb315 could detect synthetic peptide p315 adsorbed on peripheral human lymphocytes by flow cytometry and showed high immuno reactivity to E1 viral antigen in infected Huh7 cells by immunostaining. Antibody-mediated neutralization assays demonstrated the ability of mAb315 to block HCV binding/entry to target cells at 0.73 mg/mL ascitic fluid or 250 µg/mL culture supernatant of mouse hybrid cells. Sixteen of 24 infected sera could infect Huh7 cells (67%). Binding/entry of HCV was completely blocked by mAb315 in 11/16 cases (69%). These findings suggest that mAb315 can induce HCV neutralization in vitro, which makes it a candidate for developing HCV therapeutic antibodies.

Background and Aim: Response to interferon therapy and disease progression in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients differs among individuals, suggesting a possibility of a contribution of host genetic factors. 2′‐5′‐oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1), an important component of the innate immune system with a proven antiviral function, may therefore have a relationship with the response to interferon therapy and clinical course of HCV disease. Our aim was to determine the frequency of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at exon 7 splice acceptor site (SAS) of the OAS1 gene in relation to the interferon response and status of HCV infection. Methods: A 203 bp fragment containing exon 7 SAS was amplified in 70 HCV chronic patients and 50 healthy controls. SNP was examined using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) genotyping method. Correlations of SNP genotypes with response to interferon and clinical status of patients were statistically analyzed. Results: There was an increasing trend of response from AA to AG to GG genotypes (P = 0.007). Genotype AA was associated with non‐response to interferon and higher degree of liver fibrosis (P = 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed this SNP as independent and a significant determinant of the outcome of interferon therapy (odds ratio 4.913 [95% confidence interval 1.365–8.2], P = 0.006). Conclusions: This is the first study to show a significant association between the functional SNP at exon 7 SAS of OAS1 gene and the viral response to interferon in chronic HCV patients. Patients with AA genotype were associated with progressive HCV disease and viral resistance to interferon therapy. This OAS SNP is a potential bio‐marker to predict IFN response in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a ubiquitous pathogen that infects the majority of humans. Co-infection of CMV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) may deteriorate the prognosis of HCV-infected patients. This study was conducted to examine the role of CMV reactivation in determining the response rate to treatment with interferon and ribavirin therapy in chronic HCV patients.Viral loads and genotyping were assessed using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Innolipa systems, respectively. Reactivation of CMV in HCV patients who were all positive for CMV immunoglobulin G antibodies was tested by amplification of the gB1 gene using the end-point dilution quantitative-nested polymerase chain reaction method.CMV DNA was detected in 89.7% of non-responders and in 34.6% of sustained virological responders. Patients with reactivated CMV had significantly higher fibrosis scores (72.7%) than those with undetectable CMV DNA (23.8%, P=0.002). Patients with positive CMV had higher rates of non-response and relapse (79.5%) than those with negative CMV DNA (19%). Chronic HCV patients with latent CMV had higher rates of response (81%) to treatment than those with reactivated CMV (20.5%, P0.001). Therefore, HCV patients with reactivated CMV and advanced fibrosis were least likely to achieve a sustained virological response following interferon therapy. This possibility is reduced to 50% of its original value in patients with reactivated CMV without fibrosis.Besides the staging of liver fibrosis, CMV co-infection should be considered as an extremely important factor when designing predictive models for HCV response to interferon treatment.

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To establish a cell culture system with long-term replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome and expression of viral antigens in vitro.HepG2 cell line was tested for its susceptibility to HCV by incubation with a serum from a patient with chronic hepatitis C. Cells and supernatant were harvested at various time points during the culture. Culture supernatant was tested for its ability to infect naive cells. The presence of minus (antisense) RNA strand, and the detection of core and E1 antigens in cells were examined by RT-PCR and immunological techniques (flow cytometry and Western blot) respectively.The intracellular HCV RNA was first detected on d 3 after infection and then could be consistently detected in both cells and supernatant over a period of at least three months. The fresh cells could be infected with supernatant from cultured infected cells. Flow cytometric analysis showed surface and intracellular HCV antigen expression using in house made polyclonal antibodies (anti-core, and anti-E1). Western blot analysis showed the expression of a cluster of immunogenic peptides at molecular weights extended between 31 and 45 kDa in an one month old culture of infected cells whereas this cluster was undetectable in uninfected HepG2 cells.HepG2 cell line is not only susceptible to HCV infection but also supports its replication in vitro. Expression of HCV structural proteins can be detected in infected HepG2 cells. These cells are also capable of shedding viral particles into culture media which in turn become infectious to uninfected cells.

To test whether the status of positive cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA detection adds to the predictive value of IL28B and to further categorize C/T allele carriers.This study included 166 chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients who received combined interferon and ribavirin therapy for 48 wk, 84 spontaneous hepatitis C virus (HCV) resolvers who were positive for IgG anti-HCV antibody and negative for HCV RNA, and 100 healthy subjects who were negative for both HCV antibodies and RNA as controls. Genomic DNA from peripheral blood was used for IL28B rs.12979860 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and CMV DNA detection. A 139 bp fragment containing IL28B SNP was amplified in all subjects by polymerase chain reaction using a specifically designed primer. Then the IL28B rs.12979860 SNP was detected by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) genotyping. The presence of CMV DNA was tested by amplification of the gB1 gene using nested polymerase chain reaction. The role of CMV and IL28B rs.12979860 SNP genotypes in determining the response rate to combined interferon therapy and clinical status of patients were statistically analyzed.Current data showed that 67% of patients carrying the IL28B 12979860 C/C allele had a sustained viral response (SVR) while the genotypes C/T and TT were associated with lower SVR rates, 50% and 48%, respectively. SVR rates for the C/C allele were lower than other HCV genotypes and/or other populations. Genotype CC was associated with the response to interferon (P = 0.025). Genotype C/C was reduced from 48% in controls to 14% in CHC patients suggesting its protective role against progression to chronicity. The majority of spontaneously cleared subjects (86%) were C/C, confirming its protective role. The C/T allele was present in 71% of CHC patients compared with 38% of controls, so the use of IL28B SNP genotyping only in these patients may be of little value as a predictor of response. CMV reactivation occurred in 40% of CHC patients. Co-infection with CMV seriously diminished the response to interferon (IFN) therapy, with SVR rates in C/C genotypes 87.5% in CMV-negative patients and 12.5% in CMV-positive patients (P0.0001). SVR rates among C/T carriers were reduced to50% in patients with positive CMV DNA while the non-response rate doubled. These data indicate that a supplemental assay for CMV viremia adds to the prognostic value of IL28B genotyping.The results suggest that both genetic (i.e., spontaneous) and therapeutic (IFN-based therapy) arms are complementary in the battle against HCV. CMV DNA testing may be of value to better predict the response to IFN, particularly in IL28B C/T carriers.