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The treatment response of chronically hepatitis C virus-infected patients depends on interferon concentration but not on interferon gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
- Source :
-
Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy [Antimicrob Agents Chemother] 2012 Feb; Vol. 56 (2), pp. 903-8. Date of Electronic Publication: 2011 Nov 28. - Publication Year :
- 2012
-
Abstract
- The current treatment of chronic hepatitis C is based on pegylated alpha interferon (PEG-IFN-α) and ribavirin. The aim of this study was to identify biological and clinical variables related to IFN therapy that could predict patient outcome. The study enrolled 47 patients treated with PEG-IFN and ribavirin combined therapy. The interferon concentration was measured in serum by a bioassay. The expression of 93 interferon-regulated genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was quantified by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) before and after 1 month of treatment. The interferon concentration in the serum was significantly lower in nonresponders than in sustained virological responders. Moreover, a significant correlation was identified between interferon concentration and interferon exposition as well as body weight. The analysis of interferon-inducible genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells among the genes tested did not permit the prediction of treatment outcome. In conclusion, the better option seems to be to treat patients with weight-adjusted PEG-IFN doses, particularly for patients with high weight who are treated with PEG-IFN-α2a. Although the peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples are the easiest to obtain, the measurement of interferon-inducible genes seems not be the best strategy to predict treatment outcome.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Antiviral Agents administration & dosage
Antiviral Agents blood
Antiviral Agents pharmacology
Body Weight
Drug Therapy, Combination
Female
Gene Expression Regulation drug effects
Hepacivirus genetics
Hepatitis C, Chronic virology
Humans
Interferon alpha-2
Interferon-alpha administration & dosage
Interferon-alpha pharmacology
Interferon-alpha therapeutic use
Leukocytes, Mononuclear chemistry
Leukocytes, Mononuclear drug effects
Leukocytes, Mononuclear virology
Male
Middle Aged
Polyethylene Glycols administration & dosage
Polyethylene Glycols pharmacology
Polyethylene Glycols therapeutic use
Recombinant Proteins administration & dosage
Recombinant Proteins blood
Recombinant Proteins pharmacology
Recombinant Proteins therapeutic use
Ribavirin administration & dosage
Treatment Outcome
Viral Load
Antiviral Agents therapeutic use
Hepacivirus drug effects
Hepatitis C, Chronic drug therapy
Interferon-alpha blood
Leukocytes, Mononuclear metabolism
Ribavirin therapeutic use
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1098-6596
- Volume :
- 56
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 22123700
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1128/AAC.05646-11