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Predictive Genetic Variations in the Kynurenine Pathway for Interferon-α-Induced Depression in Patients with Hepatitis C Viral Infection.

ABSTRACT: Importance: The high incidence of major depressive episodes during interferon-α (IFN-α) therapy is considered the most powerful supportive evidence for the inflammation theory of depression. As the kynurenine pathway plays an important role connecting inflammation and depression, it is plausible to investigate this pathway for predictive genetic markers for IFN-α-induced depression. Methods: In this prospective case-control study, we assessed 291 patients with chronic hepatitis C viral infection taking IFN-α therapy and analyzed the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes in the kynurenine pathway. Our case group contained patients who developed IFN-α-induced depression during the treatment, and others were defined as the control group. Genomic DNA was extracted from leukocytes in the peripheral blood and analyzed by Affymetrix TWB array. We first tested allelic, dominant, and recessive models on each of our SNPs using Fisher's exact test. We then conducted 5000 gene-wide max(T) permutations based on the best model of each SNP to provide strong gene-wide family-wise error rate control. Finally, we preformed logistic regression for the significant SNPs acquired in previous procedures, with sex and education level as covariates to build predictive models. Additional haplotype analyses were conducted with Haploview 4.2 to investigate the combining effect of multiple significant SNPs within a gene. Results: With sex and education level as covariates, rs8082252 (p = 0.0015, odds ratio = 2.716), rs8082142 (p = 0.0031, odds ratio = 2.499) in arylformamidase (AFMID), and rs12477181 (p = 0.0004, odds ratio = 0.3478) in kynureninase (KYNU) were significant in logistic regression models with dominant modes of inheritance. Haplotype analyses showed the two significant SNPs in AFMID to be in the same haploblock and highly correlated (r² = 0.99). There were two significant haplotypes (by the sequence of rs8082252, rs8082142): AT (χ2 = 7.734, p = 0.0054) and GC (χ2 = 6.874, p = 0.0087). Conclusions: This study provided supportive evidence of the involvement of the kynurenine pathway in IFN-α-induced depression. SNPs in this pathway were also predictive of this disease.

SUBMITTER: Cheng SW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7998192 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:The negative regulators in the interferon (IFN) signaling pathway inhibit intrahepatic immune response, resulting in suboptimal therapeutic response to IFNα treatment in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Identifying the key negative factors and elucidating the regulating mechanism are essential for improving anti-HBV (hepatitis B virus) efficacy of IFNα. From the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, we downloaded and analyzed gene expression profiles of CHB patients with different responses to IFNα (GSE54747), and found that innate immune status was associated with the IFNα-based therapeutic response in CHB patients. Through PCR array, we found higher baseline level of IFN-induced transmembrane protein 2 (IFITM2) mRNA and lower baseline level of IFNα mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of CHB patients with suboptimal response to IFNα treatment. Increased IFITM2 protein was also found in the serum of IFNα nonresponsive patients. With further experiments, we found that overexpressing IFITM2 in Huh7 cells suppressed endogenous IFNα synthesis by inhibiting phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1), and interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3); knocking out IFITM2 enhanced activation of the endogenous IFNα synthesis pathway, exhibiting better inhibition on HBV replication. We also found that IFITM2 protein was shuttled by exosomes to dendritic cells (DCs), the main source of endogenous IFNα. Exosome-mediated transport of IFITM2 inhibited synthesis of endogenous IFNα in DCs whereas the inhibitory effect was abolished when IFITM2 was knocked out. Furthermore, we demonstrated that both palmitoylation inhibitor and mutation on 70/71 sites of IFITM2 protein influenced its incorporation into exosomes. Mutated IFITM2 protein increased the effect of IFNα against HBV. Conclusion: Exosome-mediated transport of IFITM2 to DCs inhibits IFNα pathway activation and blocks anti-HBV efficacy of exogenous IFNα. The findings provide an explanation to the suboptimal response of CHB patients to IFNα treatment.

Project description:AimTo investigate the association between interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 1 (IFIT1) polymorphisms and interferon-α (IFNα) treatment efficiency among Chinese hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection patients.MethodsTwo hundred and twenty five newly diagnosed chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients were enrolled in the study. All of these patients received IFNα treatment for a course of 48 wk, and were followed up for 24 wk after the treatment was end. Clinical information about virological response, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion rate and combined response at the end of the treatment, as well as the sustained response by the time of following up 24 wk after the treatment, was collected. Four tag-single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IFIT1 were selected and assessed for their association with these clinical outcomes.ResultsAt the end of the treatment, HBeAg seroconversion was observed in 27.1% patients. Thirty-six point nine percent patients achieved virological response, and 15.6% patients exhibited combined response. Sustained response was obtained in 26.2% patients. The main HBV genotype of the study was genotype B. Patients who infected with HBV genotype B or C showed better treatment efficiency, no matter which clinical outcome was considered. Among the four SNPs assessed, rs303218 (A > G) was found to be significantly associated with the end point virological response when assuming additive model [OR = 0.64 (95%CI: 0.42-0.96), P = 0.032]. Patients who carried rs303218 GG genotype had a rather higher rate of achieving virological response (response rate: 52%, OR = 0.40, 95%CI: 0.18-0.91; P = 0.028) when compared to those had AA genotype (response rate: 27%). The most significant interaction was observed in patients who had relative lower baseline aspartate transaminase. No association between SNPs and HBeAg seroconversion, combined response or sustained response was observed.ConclusionIFIT1 involves in the regulation of IFNα treatment for CHB and its polymorphism rs303218 can predict the end point virological response. The finding requires further validation.

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Predictive Genetic Variations in the Kynurenine Pathway for Interferon-α-Induced Depression in Patients with Hepatitis C Viral Infection.

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