Original Articles
Copyright ©The Author(s) 1998. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 15, 1998; 4(1): 70-73
Published online Feb 15, 1998. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v4.i1.70
Establishment of a nonradioactive assay for2’-5’ oligoadenylate synthetase and its application in chronic hepatitis C patients receiving interferon-α
Wen-Bin Tong, Chun-Ying Zhang, Bai-Fang Feng, Qi-Min Tao
Wen-Bin Tong, Bai-Fang Feng, Qi-Min Tao, Institute of Hepatology, People’ s Hospital, Beijing Medical University, Beijing 100044, China
Chun-Ying Zhang, The Department of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, USC School of Medicine, 1975 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
Wen-Bin Tong, male, born on 1972-03-21 in Datong City, Shanxi Province, graduated from the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Beijing Medical University as a B.S. in 1994; assistant research fellow, Institute of Hepatology, People’s Hospital, Beijing Medical University; having 6 papers published.
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. Wen-Bin Tong, Institute of Hepatology, People’s Hospital, Beijing Medical University, Beijing 100044, China
Telephone: +86-10-68314422 ext 5726 Fax: +86-10-68318386
Received: June 18, 1997
Revised: July 20, 1997
Accepted: September 2, 1997
Published online: February 15, 1998
Abstract

AIM: To establish a nonradioactive assay for 2’-5’ oligoadenylate synthetase (2-5 AS) and to measure the 2-5AS in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) extracts of patients with chronic hepatitis C before IFN-α injection, 24 h and one month after the first injection.

METHODS: 2-5AS in cell extracts of PBMCs from 10 normal persons and 15 chronic hepatitis C patients were determined with PEI cellulose thin-layer chromatography.

RESULTS: The assay of 2-5AS in human PBMC was found to be rapid, sensitive, specific and reliable. The 2-5AS activity of PBMC in normal persons was in a quite low level (2.0%), and it was increased about ten-folds after stimulation of IFN (19.7%), (P < 0.01). In 15 chronic hepatitic C patients, the basal levels of 2-5AS before IFN treatment were higher than those of normal persons, being much higher in the group showing poor response to IFN treatment, but 24h after the first injection of IFN-α the 2-5AS level showed a more rapid and much greater rise in those patients with a good response.

CONCLUSION: 2-5AS may be a useful parameter of biological response during the IFN therapy.

Keywords: 2’-5’ oligoadenylate synthetase/analysis; interferon-alpha; chromatography, thin layer; hepatitis C/enzymes