Antiviral potency analysis and functional comparison of consensus interferon, interferon-alpha2a and pegylated interferon-alpha2b against hepatitis C virus infection.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Current treatments for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) employing pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin are successful in approximately 50% of patients. Consensus IFN (CIFN) is a recombinant type I IFN that has demonstrated efficacy where conventional therapy has failed. We evaluated the host cell antiviral response and anti-HCV actions induced by IFN-alpha2a, PEG-IFN-alpha2b or CIFN on cultured immortalized human hepatocytes, Huh7 human hepatoma cells and Huh7 cells that harboured genetically distinct HCV RNA replicons or were infected with HCV 2a.

Methods

Cultured cells were treated with each IFN at relevant dosing based upon the pharmacological attainable in vivo serum maximum IFN concentrations. Gene expression and antiviral properties were measured usi

SUBMITTER: Erickson AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2884366 | biostudies-literature | 2008

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature