Interferon response-related gene array in predicting the outcome of antiviral treatment in chronic hepatitis C / 中华临床感染病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the application of interferon(IFN)response-related genes in predicting the outcome of antiviral treatment in chronic hepatitis C. Methods SuperArray microarray was used to detect the expression of IFN response-related genes in peripheral blood monocytes(PBMC)from chronic hepatitis C patients before treatment. SPSS 12.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results Ten patients were classified as rapid responders(RVR)and seven patients as non-RVRs according to the serum HCV RNA level after 4 weeks of treatment in 17 patients. Compared with healthy controls, nine differentially expressed genes were found in RVR patients, one up-regulated and eight down-regulated; eighteen differentially expressed genes were found in N-RVR patients, all down-regulated. Five differentially expressed genes were found between the patients with RVR and N-RVR four up-regulated genes were PRKCZ, PRKRA, IRF5 and TNFSF10(t =5.44, 3.13, 5.24 and 2.30, P=0. 000, 0.010, 0.005 and 0. 044); one up-regulated gene was IFIT5(t = 2.43, P = 0. 035). Of seventeen patients, 12 were HCV genotype 1b, 5 were HCV genotype 2a. Compared with HCV2a, IFI6 and IFI44 gene in HCV1b were downregulated(t = 2.42 and 2.45, P = 0. 038 and 0. 033). Conclusions The expression of IFN responserelated genes is associated with response to IFN treatment. HCV genotype 1 b is more successful in inducing the down-regulation of IFN response-related genes than that of HCV genotype 2a, thus leading to the resistance to IFN.