Open AccessFactors associated with the response to interferon-based antiviral therapies for chronic hepatitis C
Author(s) -
Hirayuki Enomoto,
Shuhei Nishiguchi
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
world journal of hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.913
H-Index - 55
ISSN - 1948-5182
DOI - 10.4254/wjh.v7.i26.2681
Subject(s) - medicine , ribavirin , ns5a , interferon , hepatocellular carcinoma , pegylated interferon , immunology , hepatitis c virus , hepatitis c , virology , virus , hepacivirus
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major health concern worldwide. Interferon-α (IFN-α) therapy has been the main antiviral treatment for more than 20 years. Because of its established antitumor effects, IFN-based treatments for chronic HCV infection still have a clinical impact, particularly for patients with high risk conditions of developing hepatocellular carcinoma, such as older age and advanced liver fibrosis. As a result of exhaustive research, several viral factors, including NS5A amino acid mutations such as the IFN sensitivity-determining region and the IFN/ribavirin resistance-determining region, and mutations of amino acids in the core protein region (core 70 and 91) were shown to be associated with the response to IFN-α treatment. In addition, among the host factors related to the response to IFN-α treatment, polymorphisms of the interleukin-28B gene were identified to be the most important factor. In this article, we review the factors associated with the efficacy of IFN-α treatment for chronic HCV infection. In addition, our recent findings regarding the possible involvement of anti-IFN-α neutralizing antibodies in a non-response to pegylated-IFN-α treatment are also described.