Circulating Interferon-λ3, Responsiveness to HBV Vaccination, and HBVHCV Infections in Haemodialysis Patients

Abstract EN

The IFN-λ3 gene (IFNL3) plays a role in HCV clearance.

We investigated circulating IFN-λ3 and IFNL3 SNPs in haemodialysis patients who differed in their response to HBV vaccination and their HBV/HCV infection status.

In 201 patients, plasma IFN-λ3 was determined using ELISA.

IFNL3 SNPs (rs12979860, rs8099917) were genotyped using HRM analysis.

Differences in IFN-λ3 levels were shown between responders and nonresponders to HBV vaccination and between HBsAg-positive patients and those who developed anti-HBs after infection and became HBsAg negative.

HBV vaccine responders without HCV resolution revealed lower IFN-λ3 than noninfected responders.

HBsAg/HCV RNA-positive subjects showed lower IFN-λ3 than patients positive only for HCV RNA or subjects who resolved both infections.

Circulating IFN-λ3 correlated positively with anti-HBs and negatively with positive HCV RNA testing in the adjusted regression analyses.

HBV vaccine nonresponders, HBsAg-positive patients, and subjects with replicating HCV composed a group with unfavourable outcomes.

Responders to HBV vaccination, subjects who became HBsAg negative, and those who cleared HCV were analysed as having favourable outcomes.

The latter showed higher IFN-λ3 but did not differ in distribution of IFNL3 SNPs compared with subjects with unfavourable outcomes.

Higher IFN-λ3 concentrations are associated with response to HBV vaccination, self-limited HBV infection, and HCV resolution.