Hepatitis B Virus Genotype B and High Expression of Interferon Alpha Receptor ? Subunit are Associated With Better Response to Pegylated Interferon Alpha 2a in Chinese Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B Infection

authors:

avatar He-Bin Fan 1 , * , avatar Ya-Bin Guo 2 , avatar You-Fu Zhu 2 , avatar An-Shen Chen 3 , avatar Mu-Xiu Zhou 3 , avatar Zhi Li 3 , avatar Li-Tong Xu 3 , avatar Xiao-Ju Ma 3 , avatar Fu-Ming Yan 3

Department of Infectious Disease, The Peoples Liberation Army 161 Hospital, fan_hebin@126.com, China
Department of Infectious Disease, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, China
Department of Infectious Disease, The Peoples Liberation Army 161 Hospital, China
Hepatitis Monthly: Vol.12, issue 5; 333-338
article type: Research Article
received: March 22, 2012
accepted: April 24, 2012
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon.6173

how to cite: Fan H, Guo Y, Zhu Y, Chen A, Zhou M, et al. Hepatitis B Virus Genotype B and High Expression of Interferon Alpha Receptor ? Subunit are Associated With Better Response to Pegylated Interferon Alpha 2a in Chinese Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B Infection. Hepat Mon. 2012;12(5): 333-338. https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon.6173.

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 in?uence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes and type I IFN-αreceptor 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 semi-quantitatively by image analysis. Chronic hepatitis B patients were treated with Peg-IFN-α2a 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 in?ammation (P < 0.001). Patients’ high IFNAR2 protein expression had a signi?cant 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.

Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education:
Hepatitis B Virus genotype B and high expression of interferon alpha receptor β subunit may be considered as a predictor of response to interferon antiviral therapy in HBV patients and study of this article is recommended to the hepatologists, virologists, gastroentestinalist and other researchers.
Please cite this paper as:
Fan HB, Guo YB, Zhu YF, Chen AS, Zhou MX, Li Z, et al. Hepatitis B Virus Genotype B and High Expression of Interferon Alpha Receptor β Subunit are Associated With Better Response to Pegylated Interferon Alpha 2a in Chinese Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B Infection. Hepat Mon. 2012;12(5): 333-8. DOI: 10.5812/hepatmon.6173

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