Relationship between adhesion molecules and virological response to pegylated interferon-alpha-2a treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B: A pilot study

• Published in: Hepatology research Vol. 44; no. 12; pp. 1172 - 1178
• Main Authors: Gong, Xueyan, Qin, Bo, Ma, Qian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.2014
• Subjects: adhesion molecule; chronic B hepatitis; pegylated interferon-alpha-2a; chronic B hepatitis; adhesion molecule; pegylated interferon-alpha-2a
• ISSN: 1386-6346; 1872-034X
• DOI: 10.1111/hepr.12251

Aim We performed a clinical study to investigate potential association between serum levels of soluble adhesion molecules and virological response to pegylated interferon‐alpha‐2a (PEG IFN‐α‐2a) treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods Thirty‐two patients with chronic hepatitis B virus genotype B were recruited in this study, who were treated with PEG IFN‐α‐2a 180 μg every week and then followed up for 24 weeks. Thirty healthy control subjects were recruited from volunteer blood donors. Serum concentrations of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (sICAM‐1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1 (sVCAM‐1), soluble E‐selectin (sE‐selectin), soluble L‐selectin (sL‐selectin) in patients were investigated by enzyme‐linked immunoassay before and after treatment. Results Serum concentrations of sICAM‐1, sVCAM‐1, sE‐selectin and sL‐selectin in CHB patients were significantly higher compared to the control group before treatment (P < 0.00001, respectively). In CHB patients responding to the PEG IFN‐α‐2a treatment, serum levels of sICAM‐1, sVCAM‐1, sE‐selectin and sL‐selectin were higher than those in non‐responders before treatment (PI = 0.001, PV = 0.002, PE = 0.02, PL = 0.004). The levels of sICAM‐1, sVCAM‐1, sE‐selectin and sL‐selectin decreased in virological responders of treatment at 12 and 24 weeks (PI = 0.0001, PV = 0.00004, PE = 0.002, PL = 0.0004; PI = 0.00007, PV = 0.00001, PE = 0.0003, PL = 0.00003), while no obvious changes were observed in non‐responders (P > 0.05, respectively). Conclusion Results obtained indicated increased levels of sICAM‐1, sVCAM‐1, sE‐selectin and sL‐selectin could be related to virological response to PEG IFN‐α‐2a treatment in CHB patients, and have a prognostic effect on virological response.