Acute Toxicity of Recombinant Porcine Interferon-alpha

To observe the acute toxicity of recombinant porcine interferen-alpha （IFN-alpha） in mice and thus provide a basis for the clinical safety. [Method] According to the principles of acute toxicity, all the mice were divided into two major groups （intraperitoneally injected group and intramuscularly injected group） respectively at high dose, moderate dose and low dose. And the normal control group was also set up. Within 14 d after administration, the behavior of mouse and the degree of toxicity were continuously observed. The hematological indexes and biochemical indexes of blood were detected to obtain the preliminary toxicity data of the recombinant porcine IFN-alpha. And at the end of the experiment, mice were sacrificed for autopsy. [ Result] There was not significant difference in external performance, behavioral characteristics, body temperature, weight, pathological anatomy of visceral organs, hematological indexes and biochemical indexes between the experimental groups and the control group. [ Conclusion] The highest dose of porcine interferon （5.0 x 10s IU per mouse） in this experiment or the dose lower than this dosage should not have significant toxic effects on mice, and the recombinant porcine IFN-alpha is safe in clinical application.

Evolution and predictive factors of thyroid disorder due to interferon alpha in the treatment of hepatitis C

AIM： To study predictive factors of thyroid dysfunction associated with interferon-alpha （IFNa） therapy in chronic hepatitis C （CHC） and to describe its long-term evolution in a large population without previous thyroid dysfunction. METHODS： We performed a follow-up of thyroid function and detection of thyroid antibodies in 301 patients treated for CHC with IFNα from 1999 to 2004. RESULTS： Thyroid disorder developed in 30/301 （10%） patients with a mean delay of 6 ± 3.75 mo： 13 patients had hyperthyroidism, 11 had hypothyroidism, and 6 had biphasic evolution. During a mean follow-up of 41.59 ± 15.39 mo, 9 patients with hyperthyroidism, 3 with hypothyroidism, and 4 with biphasic evolution normalized thyroid function in 7.88 ± 5.46 mo. Recovery rate of dysthyroidism was not modified by treatment discontinuation, but was better for patients with negative thyroid antibodies before antiviral treatment （P = 0.02）. Women had significantly more dysthyroidism （P = 0.05）. Positive thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin antibodies were more frequent before antiviral treatment in patients who developed dysthyroidism （P 〈 0.0003 and P = 0.0003, respectively）. In a multivariate model, low fibrosis was found to be a predictive factor of dysthyroidism （P = 0.039）.CONCLUSION： In this monocentric population of CHC, dysthyroidism, especially hyperthyroidism, developed in 10% of patients, Low fibrosis was found to be a predictive factor of dysthyroidism, Thyroid disorder recovered in 16/30 patients （53%） and recovery was better in the non-autoimrnune form,

Effect of sustained virological response on long-term clinical outcome in 113 patients with compensated hepatitis C-related cirrhosis treated by interferon alpha and ribavirin

AIM： To assess the long-term clinical benefit of sustained virological response （SVR） in patients with hepatitis C virus （HCV） cirrhosis treated by antiviral therapy using mostly ribavirin plus interferon either standard or pegylated.METHODS： One hundred and thirteen patients with uncomplicated HCV biopsy-proven cirrhosis, treated by at least one course of antiviral treatment ≥ 3 mo and followed ≥ 30 mo were included. The occurrence of clinical events [hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）, decompensation and death] was compared in SVR and non SVR patients.RESULTS： Seventy eight patients received bitherapy and 63 had repeat treatments. SVR was achieved in 37 patients （33%）. During a mean follow-up of 7.7 years, clinical events occurred more frequently in non SVR than in SVR patients, with a significant difference for HCC （24/76 vs 1/37, P = 0.01）. No SVR patient died while 20/76 non-SVR did （P = 0.002）, mainly in relation to HCC （45%）.CONCLUSION： In patients with HCV-related cirrhosis, $VR is associated with a significant decrease in the incidence of HCC and mortality during a follow-up period of 7.7 years. This result is a strong argument to perform and repeat antiviral treatments in patients with compensated cirrhosis.

Successful treatment of psychosis induced by interferon alpha and ribavirin with paliperidone:first case reported

Several clinical studies have shown a large number of mental symptoms by immunomodulatory treatment with interferon (IFN). The most frequently described symptoms are depression, suicidal behaviour, manic symptoms, anxiety, psychosis and delirium, associated with other non-specific symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, psychomotor retardation, decreased libido, insomnia, difficulty in concentration and attention. Having a history of mental disorder contraindicates the use of IFN-alpha. These adverse effects that affect the mental state appear usually at the beginning of the treatment (most after 3 weeks of treatment). The incidence of psychotic episodes is low and the episodes usually remit when treatment is interrupted;only some cases require antipsychotic treatment. We present the case of a patient affected with hepatitis C who began to present self-referential delirious symptoms after receiving the treatment with IFN and who was successfully treated with paliperidone. This patient could be classified within the group of high-risk psychiatric patients given the family history of schizophrenia and his personal history of illegal drug consumption. The pharmacological actions of paliperidone are similar to other high potency atypical antipsychotics.丁he receptorbinding profile of paliperidone most closely resembles that of risperidone and ziprasidone. Paliperidone differs from risperidone and most other antipsychotics by its relatively low extent of enzymatic hepatic metabolism. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case described that was successfully treated with paliperidone.

Science Letters:Transient expression of chicken alpha interferon gene in lettuce

We investigated the possibility of producing chicken alpha interferon （ChlFN-α） in transgenic plants. The cDNA encoding ChlFN-α was introduced into lettuce （Lactuca sativa L.） plants by using an agro-infiltration transient expression system. The ChlFN-a gene was correctly transcribed and translated in the lettuce plants according to RT-PCR and ELISA assays. Recombinant protein exhibited antiviral activity in vitro by inhibition of vesicular stomatitis virus （VSV） replication on chicken embryonic fibroblast （CEF）. The results demonstrate that biologically active avian cytokine with potential pharmaceutical applications could be expressed in transgenic lettuce plants and that it is possible to generate interferon protein in forage plants for preventing infectious diseases of poultry.

Clinical correlations between chronic hepatitis C infection and decreasing bone mass density after treatment with interferon-alpha

Objective: To compare the bone mass density in chronic hepatitis patients before and after interferon-a treatment.Methods: A total of 70 patients with chronic hepatitis C were treated with interferon-a and were evaluated. The treatment dosage was three million IU three times a week for one year. All the patients underwent bone mass density detection at lumbar spine and femoral neck before and after the interferon-a treatment. All the necessary information such as age,sex, and laboratory test, history of occurrence of fractures, lifestyle, and menopause status was collected by interviewers face-to-face from participants at the research visit. Smoking was categorized by whether participants were nonsmokers or smokers. Menopause was designated if there had been complete cessation of menses for more than 12 months. All statistical analyses were performed by SPSS version 14(SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).Results: Among 70 patients, 52% were male, 48% were female and the mean age was(57.0 ± 9.6) years(range: 24–79). Twenty-nine percent of the patients had a history of smoking. The mean body mass index was(24.4 ± 3.6) kg/m^2(range: 18.4–35.3). Of the70 cases, 21 had high fibrosis-4. The prevalence of overall fracture history was 2.9%(two patients).Conclusions: Chronic hepatitis C virus infection did increase the risk of development of metabolic bone disease in this cohort. Indeed, greater reduction of bone mass density occurs in advanced liver fibrosis. The bone loss in earlier stages of chronic hepatitis C infection is likely to result from increased bone reduction rather than decreased bone formation. Overall, these observations suggest an important role for chronic hepatitis C virus infection in increased bone turnover in osteodystrophy pathogenesis.

Relationship between HBV genotypes and anti-viral therapeutic efficacy of interferon-alpha

BACKGROUND: Much evidence demonstrates that the genotypes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) present differences in pathogenicity and outcomes owing to differences in genetic structure. This study aimed to investigate the influences of HBV genotypes on the anti-viral therapeutic efficacy of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) in chronic hepatitis B patients, and to determine the relationship between HBV genotypes and levels of viral replication or gene variations. METHODS: The chronic hepatitis B patients who were treated with IFN-alpha were selected randomly. Anti-viral therapeutic efficacy was monitored in these patients. The HBV genotypes were detected by PCR microplate hybridization ELISA. The levels of serum HBV-DNA were determined by fluorescence quantitative PCR. HBV gene variation at pre-C and basic core promoter (BCP) regions were assayed by gene chip technology. RESULTS: Genotypes B and C were predominant in 94 chronic hepatitis B patients. A, E and F genotypes were not found in these patients. The HBV-DNA levels of genotype C and mixed genotypes were significantly higher than those of genotype B. The response to IFN-alpha in patients with genotype B was markedly better than in those with genotypes C and D, and the complete response to IFN-alpha was only observed in genotype B. The response to IFN-alpha in patients with mixed genotypes was the least sensitive. The negative transition of HBeAg was correlated with variations in the HBV pre-C and BCP regions in patients with partial or no response to IFN-alpha. The variation rates of HBV pre-C and BCP regions were clearly higher in genotype C than in genotype B. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that HBV genotype is correlated with the serum levels of HBV-DNA, HBV gene variations and therapeutic efficacy of IFN-alpha. The regular detection of HBV genotypes in the clinic will be of benefit for disease prognosis and planning of anti-viral therapeutic strategies.

The Predictive Value of Baseline HBs Ag Level and Early Response for HBs Ag Loss in Patients with HBe Ag-positive Chronic Hepatitis B during Pegylated Interferon Alpha-2a Treatment

Objective To explore the predictive value of baseline HBs Ag level and early response for HBs Ag loss in patients with HBe Ag-positive chronic hepatitis B during pegylated interferon alpha-2a treatment. Methods A total of 121 patients with HBe Ag-positive chronic hepatitis B who achieved HBs Ag loss were enrolled; all patients were treated with PEG-IFNα-2a 180 μg/week. Serum HBV DNA and serological indicators （HBs Ag, anti-HBs, HBe Ag, and anti-HBe） were determined before and every 3 months during treatment. Results The median treatment time for HBs Ag loss was 84 weeks （7-273 weeks）, and 74.38% （90 cases） of the patients needed extended treatment （〉 48 weeks）. The correlation between baseline HBs Ag levels and the treatment time of HBs Ag loss was significant （B = 14.465, t = 2.342, P = 0.021）. Baseline HBs Ag levels together with the decline range of HBs Ag at 24 weeks significantly correlated with the treatment time of HBs Ag loss （B = 29.862, t = 4.890, P = 0.000 and B = 27.993, t = 27.993, P = 0.005）. Conclusion Baseline HBs Ag levels and extended therapy are critical steps toward HBs Ag loss. Baseline HBs Ag levels together with early response determined the treatment time of HBs Ag loss in patients with HBe Ag-positive chronic hepatitis B during pegylated interferon alpha-2a treatment.

The Expression of Interleukin-17, Interferon-gamma, and Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-3 Alpha mRNA in Patients with Psoriasis Vulgaris

Summary: To investigate the role of Interleukin-17 (IL-17), Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and macrophage inflammatory protein-3 alpha (MIP-3α) in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to semi-quantitatively analyze the mRNA expression of IL-17, IFN-γ, and MIP-3α in 31 psoriatic lesions and 16 normal skin tissues. The results showed that the mRNA of the three cytokines was present in all specimens. And the expression level of IL-17 mRNA in skin lesions was 1.1416±0.0591, which was significantly higher than that in normal controls (0.8788±0.0344, P<0.001). The expression levels of IFN-γ mRNA were 1.1142±0.0561 and 0.9050±0.0263, respectively, with significant difference(P<0.001). And the expression levels of MIP-3α mRNA in psoriatic lesions was 1.1397±0.0521, which was markedly higher than that in normal controls (0.8681±0.0308, P<0.001). These findings indicate that up-regulated expression of IL-17, IFN-γ, and MIP-3α might be involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

T29C genotype polymorphism of estrogen receptor alpha is associated with initial response to interferon-alpha therapy in chronic hepatitis B patients

BACKGROUND: Virological clearance, delayed progression to cirrhosis or liver cancer, and increased survival are the long-term goals of antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis B patients. Identification of host factors correlated with therapeutic response may contribute greatly to individual treatment. This study aimed at investigating whether T29C genotype polymorphism of estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) is associated with the initial response to interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) therapy in chronic hepatitis B patients. METHODS: The initial responses of 100 patients to IFN-alpha therapy were evaluated and compared by classifying them into three groups according to T29C genotype polymorphism of ESR1: T/T, TIC, and C/C genotype groups. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to analyze the genotype polymorphism in T29C. RESULTS: The frequency of initially combined response was markedly higher in both the T/T and TIC groups than in the C/C group (Z=10.326, P=0.006 and Z=26.247, P=0.000, respectively). In addition, the initial virological response was higher in the T/T and T/C groups than the C/C group (chi(2)=5.674, P=0.017 and chi(2)=4.980, P=0.026, respectively). In 78 initially HBeAg-positive patients, however, the frequency of initial e-antigen disappearance or seroconversion among the T/T, T/C, and C/C genotype groups was 34.15%, 27.78% and 15.79%, respectively, which were not significantly different. CONCLUSION. The T29C genotype polymorphism of ESR1 is associated with the initial response to IFN-alpha in patients with chronic hepatitis B, and might be a significant marker for predicting the initial response to IFN-alpha, at least in this study population. (Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int 2010; 9: 275-279)

Combination Therapy with Pegylated Interferon alpha-2b and Adefovir Dipivoxil in HBeAg-positive Chronic Hepatitis B versus Interferon Alone: A Prospective, Randomized Study

Currently available monotherapies of oral nucleoside/nucleotide analogs or interferon are unable to achieve a sustained and effective response in most of patients with chronic hepatitis B（CHB）. The objective of the present study was to compare the efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon（Peg-IFN） alpha-2b plus adefovir dipivoxil combination therapy versus Peg-IFN alpha-2b alone. Sixty-one HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients were randomized to receive Peg-IFN alpha-2b alone（1.5 μg/kg once weekly） or Peg-IFN alpha-2b plus adefovir（10 mg daily） for up to 52 weeks. Efficacy and safety analyses were performed on all participants who received at least one dose of study medication. The rate of HBeAg seroconversion and undetectable HBV-DNA were evaluated after 52 weeks of therapy. At the end of treatment, 11 of 30（36.7%） patients receiving combination therapy achieved HBeAg seroconversion versus 8 of 31（25.8%） in the monotherapy group（P=0.36）. In contrast, the percentage of patients with undetectable serum HBV DNA was significantly higher in the combination group than in the monotherapy group（76.7% vs. 29.0%, P〈0.001）. Thyroid dysfunction was more frequent in the combination group than in the monotherapy group（P〈0.05）. In HBeAg-positive CHB, combination of Peg-IFN alpha-2b and adefovir for 52 weeks resulted, at the end of treatment, in a higher virological response but without significant impact on the rate of HBeAg seroconversion and possibly an adverse effect on thyroid function.

Expression of bcl-2 protein in chronic hepatitis C:Effect of interferon alpha 2b with ribavirin therapy

AIM: Mechanisms responsible for persistence of HCV infection and liver damage in chronic hepatitis C are not clear. Apoptosis is an important form of host immune response against viral infections. Anti-apoptotic protein bcl-2 expression on liver tissue as well as the influence of interferon alpha 2b (IFNa2b) and ribavirin (RBV) were analyzed in patients with chronic hepatitis C. METHODS: In 30 patients with chronic hepatitis C (responders - R and non-responders - NR) treated with IFNα2b+RBV, protein bcl-2 was determined in hepatocytes and in liver associated lymphocytes before and after the treatment. RESULTS: The treatment diminished bcl-2 protein accumulation in liver cells in_patients with hepatitis C (P<0.05). Before and after the therapy, we detected bcl-2 protein in R in 87±15% and 83±20% of hepatocytes and in 28±18% and 26±10% of liver-associated lymphocytes, respectively. In NR, the values before treatment decreased from 94±32% to 88±21% of hepatocytes and 39±29% to 28±12% of lymphocytes with bcl-2 expression. There was no statistical correlation between bcl-2 expression on liver tissue with inflammatory activity, fibrosis and biochemical parameters before and after the treatment. CONCLUSION: IFNα2b+RBV treatment, by bcl-2 protein expression decrease, enables apoptosis of hepatocytes and associated liver lymphocytes, which in turn eliminate hepatitis C viruses.

Identification of genes upregulated by recombinant interferon-alpha in HepG2 cells by suppressive subtractive hybridization analysis

BACKGROUND: Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) is an important cytokine with multiple functions, but the target genes transactivated by IFN-alpha remain largely unknown. A study of such genes will help to understand the mechanism of function of IFN-alpha. To isolate the gene transcripts specifically upregulated by IFN-alpha in HepG2 cells, we conducted suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) analysis. METHODS: SSH was used to analyze the target genes transactivated by recombinant IFN-alpha protein, and a subtractive cDNA library was constructed from HepG2 cells treated with recombinant IFN-alpha (rIFN-alpha, 2000 IU/ml) for 16 hours as tester, and cells not treated with rIFN-alpha as driver. The SSH PCR products from the library were cloned into pGEM-T easy vector and with BLASTX, the positive clones were randomly selected, sequenced and compared to the database in GenBank of the 35 differentially expressed gene fragments from the library, 6 clones showed significant homology to other known proteins. RESULTS: The subtractive cDNA library of genes upregulated by IFN-alpha was constructed successfully, rIFN-alpha upregulated the expression of the RAN binding protein 5 (RANBP5), NADH dehydrogenase, exosome component 3 (EXOSC3), zinc finger RNA binding protein, Dickkopf homolog 1 (DKK1) and acetyl-coenzyme A acetyltransferase 2 (ACAT2). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that rIFN-alpha can upregulate the expression of important genes to exert its functions, and provide new clues for discovering the molecular mechanisms of action of IFN-alpha.

Development of novel interferon alpha2b muteins and study the pharmacokinetic and biodistribution profiles in animal model

Novel human interferon alpha 2b (hIFNα2b) muteins were developed by substituting cysteine residue (C) at positions 2 and 99 with aspartic acid residues (D). The mutein forms were then studied for pharmacokinetic profile. In addition, the influence of charge on the protein structure was tested in vivo for the biodistribution pattern. Codon substitutions were performed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based site-directed mutagenesis on a previously constructed synthetic hIFNα2b open reading frame (ORF) cloned in pET32b expression plasmid. The result of nucleotide sequencing analysis confirmed that all codons were replaced successfully without any additional mutation. Three mutant forms of hIFNα2b ORF were overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) resulted in three muteins: hIFNα2b C2D, hIFNα2b C99D, hIFNα2b C2D C99D. To follow the kinetic and localization of the mutein interferon after intravenous administration, Tc99m was used to label the proteins. In particular of elimination half-life, it was shown that hIFNα2b C2D C99D > hIFNα2bC2D > hIFNα2bC99D > wild type. hIFNα2b C2D C99D mutein showed highest blood accumulation after 30 minutes administration. Taken together, the charge of hIFNα2b seems to be responsible for the fate of hIFNα2b in vivo.

Purification of Recombinant Porcine Interferon-Alpha

[ Objective] To study the purification of recombinant porcine interferon-alpha （rPolFN-alpha） and lay a foundation for researches on the structure of the rPolFN-alpha and the preparation of standard proteins. [ Method] The rPolFN-alpha were induced and extracted from the recombi- nant E. coil BL21, and they were purified by two strategies. The first strategy was that the rPolFN-alpha were purified by GST （ glutathione S transferase） affinity chromatography, DEAE （diethylaminoethyl） anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration in turn defined as three-step chromatography method; the second strategy was that the rPolFN-alpha were purified by GST affinity chromatography and gel filtration in tum defined as two-step chromatography method. Then the purified products were detected by the SDS-PAGE （sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis） and were identified by western-blotting. [Result] The purity quotient of pudfied products of the two-step chromatography method was 96.0% and that of the three-step chromatography method was 98.8%. The purified products were detected by the SDS-PAGE and the western- blotting, respectively. The results showed that the target band was 45.0 kDa and the specific band was found. [ Conclusion] The purity quotient of proteins of the two-step chromatography method is close to that of the three-step chromatography method, thus the two-step chromatography meth- od is more convenient and more suitable for pilot production than the three-step chromatography method.

Cloning and high-level expression of human interferon alpha-8 in E.coli

Human interferon alpha-8(IFN-α8) is an important cytokine with multiple biological functions.A genetically engineered strain, E. coli XL1-Blue/pBm, was constructed by DNA recombination technology and characterized by restriction analysis, DNA sequencing.

Effect of Interferon-alpha in systemic lupus erthematosus (SLE) serum on the differentiation and maturation of dendritic cells derived from CD34^+ hematopoietic precursor cells

Objective： To study the effect of interferon-alpha IFN-α in the serum of SLE patients on the differentiation and maturation of dendritic cells （DCs） derived from CD34^＋ hematopoietic precursor cells （HPCs）. Methods： Serum samples from SLE patients and normal controls were collected and the concentration of IFN-α detected by ELISA. CD34^＋HPCs were purified from cord blood by a magnetic cell sorting system （MACS）, and cultured to differentiate to DCs. Normal serum, normal serum with exogenous IFN-α, SLE serum with raised levels of IFN-α, or SLE serum with anfi-IFN-α neutralizing antibody was added to the culture medium. The phenotype of DCs was analyzed by flow cytometry （FCM） and the capacity of DCs to stimulate allogenic T lymphocyte proliferation was evaluated in a mixed lymphocyte reaction by the Cell Counting Kit-8. Cytokine production was assessed by ELISA. Results： Serum levels of IFN-α were significantly higher in SLE patients than in normal controls and this correlated positively with disease activity. Cultured in SLE serum with raised levels of IFN-α, CD34^＋ HPCs could differentiate into DCs that expressed higher levels of HLA-DR, CD80 and CD86, and showed an enhanced allogenic T-cell stimulatory capacity, while producing lower levels of IL-12 and higher amounts of IL-10 compared with those DCs cultured in normal serum. Conclusion： Increased levels of IFN-α in SLE serum promotes the differentiation and maturation of DCs derived from CD34^＋ HPCs and could contribute to the pathogenesis of SLE.

Intrathecal IgG synthesis in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) is decreased by natural human alpha interferon

Intrathecal IgG synthesis (IT IgG Syn) is an established biomarker used for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Earlier studies used this biomarker to assess the impact of 2 different synthetic forms of interferon alpha (IFN-α) in chronic progressive MS. Unexpectedly, IT IgG synthesis was increased by this treatment. For the first time, we have assessed this parameter in relapsing-remitting patients to measure the impact of natural IFN-α treatment in a doseranging study in six dosage groups (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, & 30 MIU). We have found that IFN-α normalized IT IgG Synthesis at 12 weeks treatment for all dosage groups. Two weeks after stopping IFN-α results rose slightly. At 52 weeks, 28 weeks after stopping IFN-a results revealed cessation of IT IgG Synthesis in half of the patients (15, 20, 25 MIU weekly). These results reflect different outcomes for relapsing-remitting patients vs. chronic progressive patients. They may, however, reflect differences in the biological properties of the interferon products used. An optimal range of dosage with natural human IFN-α dosage for MS is suggested by the results.

Mutation in the NS5A Region of Chinese HCV-1b Isolates and Its Correlation with Efficacy of Interferon Alpha Therapy

Objective\ To study the correlation between mutations in the NS5A region of hepatitis C virus genotype 1b and the efficacy of interferon alpha (IFN α) therapy. Methods\ Twenty patients with chronic HCV 1b infection, including 10 responders and 10 non responders to standard IFN α therapy, were investigated. HCV 1b NS5A 2209 2248 region was amplified by RT PCR and the second round product was directly sequenced before treatment. Results\ In IFN α response group, 4 out of 10 HCV isolates (40%) had mutations of amino acid in NS5A 2209 2248 region, which were all intermediate types; while in IFN α non response group, none of HCV isolates (0/10,0%) had mutations, which were all wild types (P<0.05). There was no mutant type isolates in these two groups. All patients (4/4,100%) infected with intermediate type and 6 out of 16 patients(37.5%) infected with wild type of HCV 1b were responsive to IFN α therapy (P<0.05). Conclusion\ The sequences in NS5A 2209 2248 region of Chinese HCV 1b isolates were relatively conservative. There may be a correlation between the efficacy of IFN α therapy and the mutations of amino acid in NS5A 2209 2248 region of Chinese HCV 1b isolates.

Treatment of Conjunctival Malignant Melanoma with Topical Interferon Alpha-2a

Conjunctival malignant melanoma (CMM) is a potentially lethal neoplasm with a high rate of recurrence. The modality of treatment includes a wide surgical excision, cryotherapy, topical mitomycin C and Interferon alpha 2b (INF α 2b). The aim of the study is to present the treatment of a case with CMM using topical Interferon alpha 2a. We present a 38-year-old female with diffuse bulbar dark pigmentation of the conjunctiva that arises from previously primary acquired melanosis (PAM). Biopsy resulted positive for CMM and further investigations were negative for any metastasis. Treatment with topical interferon alpha 2a was started immediately and after three months melanoma disappeared. One year after follow-up there was no sign of recurrence in regional lymph nodes or distant metastasis.