TY - JOUR
T1 - Serum miRNAs predicting sustained HBs antigen reduction 48 weeks after pegylated interferon therapy in HBe antigen-negative patients
AU - Fujita, Koji
AU - Mimura, Shima
AU - Iwama, Hisakazu
AU - Nakahara, Mai
AU - Oura, Kyoko
AU - Tadokoro, Tomoko
AU - Nomura, Takako
AU - Tani, Joji
AU - Yoneyama, Hirohito
AU - Morishita, Asahiro
AU - Oryu, Makoto
AU - Himoto, Takashi
AU - Nishitsuji, Hironori
AU - Shimotohno, Kunitada
AU - Omata, Masao
AU - Masaki, Tsutomu
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2018/7/2
Y1 - 2018/7/2
N2 - The therapeutic goal for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is HBs antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance, which is achieved through 48-week pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) therapy. This study aimed to identify predictive biomarkers for sustained HBsAg reduction by analyzing serum microRNAs. Twenty-two consecutive chronic HBV infection patients negative for HBe antigen (HBeAg) with HBV-DNA levels <5 log copies/mL, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) <100 U/L, and compensated liver functions, were enrolled. The patients were subcutaneously injected with Peg-IFNα-2a weekly for 48 weeks (treatment period), followed by the 48-week observation period. HBsAg 1-log drop relative to baseline levels recorded at the end of the observation period was considered effective. Sera were obtained at weeks 0 and 24 during the treatment period analyzed for microRNAs. The microRNA (miRNA) antiviral activity was evaluated in vitro using Huh7/sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) cells. As a result, six patients achieved the HBsAg 1-log drop after the observation periods. Comparison of serum microRNA levels demonstrated that high miR-6126 levels at week 24 predicted HBsAg 1-log drop. Furthermore, miR-6126 reduced HBsAg in culture medium supernatants and intracellular HBV-DNA quantities in Huh7/NTCP cells. In conclusion, high serum miR-6126 levels during Peg-IFN therapy predicted the HBsAg 1-log drop 48 weeks after the completion of therapy. In vitro assays revealed that miR-6126 was able to suppress HBsAg production and HBV replication.
AB - The therapeutic goal for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is HBs antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance, which is achieved through 48-week pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) therapy. This study aimed to identify predictive biomarkers for sustained HBsAg reduction by analyzing serum microRNAs. Twenty-two consecutive chronic HBV infection patients negative for HBe antigen (HBeAg) with HBV-DNA levels <5 log copies/mL, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) <100 U/L, and compensated liver functions, were enrolled. The patients were subcutaneously injected with Peg-IFNα-2a weekly for 48 weeks (treatment period), followed by the 48-week observation period. HBsAg 1-log drop relative to baseline levels recorded at the end of the observation period was considered effective. Sera were obtained at weeks 0 and 24 during the treatment period analyzed for microRNAs. The microRNA (miRNA) antiviral activity was evaluated in vitro using Huh7/sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) cells. As a result, six patients achieved the HBsAg 1-log drop after the observation periods. Comparison of serum microRNA levels demonstrated that high miR-6126 levels at week 24 predicted HBsAg 1-log drop. Furthermore, miR-6126 reduced HBsAg in culture medium supernatants and intracellular HBV-DNA quantities in Huh7/NTCP cells. In conclusion, high serum miR-6126 levels during Peg-IFN therapy predicted the HBsAg 1-log drop 48 weeks after the completion of therapy. In vitro assays revealed that miR-6126 was able to suppress HBsAg production and HBV replication.
KW - Hepatitis B surface antigens
KW - Hepatitis B virus
KW - Interferons
KW - MicroRNAs
KW - Solute carrier proteins
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U2 - 10.3390/ijms19071940
DO - 10.3390/ijms19071940
M3 - Article
C2 - 30004437
AN - SCOPUS:85049603322
SN - 1661-6596
VL - 19
JO - International journal of molecular sciences
JF - International journal of molecular sciences
IS - 7
M1 - 1940
ER -