Hepatitis B virus Infection inhibits responsiveness to interferon alpha treatment in human hepatocytes in vivo

Aims: The molecular mechanisms responsible for hepatitis B virus (HBV) weak responsiveness to IFN alpha treatment in the majority of HBV-chronically infected patients are poorly understood. Aim: to investigate whether HBV infection can restrain IFN-mediated induction of antiviral defence mechanisms in chronically infected human hepatocytes. Methods: After establishment of HBV-chronic infection in uPA/SCID mice reconstituted with primary human hepatocytes, both uninfected and HBV infected animals were treated with human IFN alpha. Viral changes, as well as induction of human specific interferon stimulated genes (…