Evolution of hepatitis C virus quasispecies in hypervariable region 1 and the putative interferon sensitivity-determining region during interferon therapy and natural infection.

ABSTRACT: To study hepatitis C virus (HCV) genetic mutation during interferon (IFN) therapy, the temporal changes in HCV quasispecies heterogeneity were compared before and after treatment for nine patients infected with HCV genotype 1, including four nonresponders, four responders who relapsed after therapy, and one responder who experienced a breakthrough of viremia during therapy. Nine untreated patients with an average time between specimens of 8.4 years served as controls. Sequences from the second envelope glycoprotein gene hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) and the putative IFN sensitivity-determining region (ISDR) of the nonstructural NS5A gene were analyzed by heteroduplex mobility assays and nucleotide sequencing. A strong positive correlation was found between the percent change in a heterodup

SUBMITTER: Polyak SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC109659 | biostudies-literature | 1998 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature