1987 Volume 28 Issue 6 Pages 675-680
Ten HBsAg- and HBeAg-positive patients with chronic active hepatitis, all of whom were treated with interferon (IFN) were studied for serial measurement of 2'-5'oligoadenylate synthetase (2-5AS) activity in serum and peripheral blood menonuclear cells (PBMC). Ten healthy adults and 10 HBsAgand HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis patients who hadn't received antiviral treatment, were also studied. IFN was given daily for 4 weeks in 6 and intermittently in 4 (1 week administration followed by 1 week pause with 4 cycles). 2-5AS activity elevated rapidly on IFN administrations and fell on its discontinuance. 2-5AS activity had an inverse correlation with DNA-P, which we called a mirror image phenomenon. These suggested 2-5AS activity in serum and PBMC would be a reliable marker of antiviral action of IFN. 2-5AS in serum had a good correlation with that in PBMC (r=0.875). Therefore, we may conclude that 2-5AS in serum would be substitutive for that in PBMC and a reliable marker of antiviral action of IFN on IFN treatment.
