Reduced IFNλ4 activity is associated with improved HCV clearance and reduced expression of interferon-stimulated genes.
Nat Commun
; 5: 5699, 2014 Dec 23.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25534433
ABSTRACT
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are the major cause of chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. Both spontaneous and treatment-induced clearance of HCV depend on genetic variation within the interferon-lambda locus, but until now no clear causal relationship has been established. Here we demonstrate that an amino-acid substitution in the IFNλ4 protein changing a proline at position 70 to a serine (P70S) substantially alters its antiviral activity. Patients harbouring the impaired IFNλ4-S70 variant display lower interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression levels, better treatment response rates and better spontaneous clearance rates, compared with patients coding for the fully active IFNλ4-P70 variant. Altogether, these data provide evidence supporting a role for the active IFNλ4 protein as the driver of high hepatic ISG expression as well as the cause of poor HCV clearance.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Interleukins
/
Hepatitis C
/
Hepacivirus
Type of study:
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Nat Commun
Journal subject:
BIOLOGIA
/
CIENCIA
Year:
2014
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Publication country:
ENGLAND
/
ESCOCIA
/
GB
/
GREAT BRITAIN
/
INGLATERRA
/
REINO UNIDO
/
SCOTLAND
/
UK
/
UNITED KINGDOM