Author/Authors :
Fan, He-Bin The People’s Liberation Army 161 Hospital - Department of Infectious Disease, China , Guo, Ya-Bin Southern Medical University - Nanfang Hospital - Department of Infectious Disease, China , Zhu, You-Fu Southern Medical University - Nanfang Hospital - Department of Infectious Disease, China , Chen, An-Shen The People’s Liberation Army 161 Hospital - Department of Infectious Disease, China , Zhou, Mu-Xiu The People’s Liberation Army 161 Hospital - Department of Pathology, China , Li, Zhi The People’s Liberation Army 161 Hospital - Department of Infectious Disease, China , Xu, Li-Tong The People’s Liberation Army 161 Hospital - Department of Infectious Disease, China , Ma, Xiao-Ju The People’s Liberation Army 161 Hospital - Department of Infectious Disease, China , Yan, Fu-Ming The People’s Liberation Army 161 Hospital - Department of Infectious Disease, China
Abstract :
Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of leading causes of various hepatic diseases including acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Hundreds of million people worldwide are infected by HBV, chronically. Objectives: This study in conducted to investigate the influence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes and type I IFN-α receptor β subunit (IFNAR2) expression in liver on response to treatment with pegylated IFN-α-2a (Peg-IFN-α-2a) for chronic hepatitis B infection. Patients and Methods: In this study, 65 eligible patients with chronic hepatitis B disease were enrolled. HBV genotypes of these patients were analyzed by using PCR-RFLP of the surface gene of HBV. The expression of IFNAR2 in the liver was immune histochemically investigated using anti-IFNAR2 antibody. All immune histochemical slides were read semiquantitatively by image analysis. Chronic hepatitis B patients were treated with Peg-IFN-α-2a therapy for a 48-week period and followed up for 24 weeks. Baseline characteristics and sustained viral response (SVR) to Peg-IFN-α-2a therapy were evaluated. Results: 55 % of patients exhibited HBV genotype B and 31.7 % patients exhibited HBV genotypes C infections. After treatment with Peg-IFN-α-2a, SVR was achieved in 66.7 % of patients with HBV genotype B and in 26.3 % of patients with HBV genotype C (P = 0.009). Semiquantitative and the image analysis indicated by gray level values revealed a higher IFNAR2 expression in the group with severe inflammation (P 0.001). Patients’ high IF- NAR2 protein expression had a significant impact on SVR to Peg-IFN-α-2a therapy (P = 0.028). Conclusions: HBV genotype B and high expression of IFNAR2 in the liver of chronic hepatitis B patients are closely associated with better response to Peg-IFN-α-2a therapy in chronic hepatitis B disease. c 2012
Keywords :
Hepatitis B , Chronic , IFNAR2 Protein , Human , Peginterferon alfa , 2a