Evaluating the Role of Cellular Immune Responses in the Emergence of HCV NS3 Resistance Mutations During Protease Inhibitor Therapy.

ABSTRACT: The efficacy of protease inhibitor drugs in hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment is limited by the selection and expansion of drug-resistant mutations. HCV replication is error-prone and genetic variability within the dominant epitopes ensures its persistence. The aims of this study are to evaluate the role of cellular immune response in the emergence of HCV protease resistance mutations and its effects on treatment outcome. Ten chronically HCV-infected subjects were treated with boceprevir (BOC)-based triple therapy. HCV-RNA was tested for BOC resistance-associated viral variants. HCV protease resistance mutations were investigated pretreatment and 24 weeks post-treatment. Synthetic peptides representing the wild-type and the potential nonstructural (NS)3 variants were used to evaluate T cel

SUBMITTER: Abdel-Hameed EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4860622 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature