T Hashempour - Tarbiat Modares university, Faculty of Medical sciences, Department of virology
S Amini-Bovil-Olyaee - Biotechnology Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran
M Karimi - Biotechnology Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran
F Behzadian - Tarbiat Modares university, Faculty of Medical sciences, Department of virology

Recently, the Nonstructural 5A protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV) was reported to interact with double stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) through PKR binding domain and its target, eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF) 2α. Inhibition of the kinase activity of PKR by this interaction was postulated as a mechanism for the resistance to interferon (IFN) therapy. The aim of this study was to examine this issue in a series of patients with long-term response to IFN treatment.The patients were defined as long-term responders since they showed persisting biochemical and virological reaponse to IFN treatment.

C virus, Nonstructural 5A gene, Polymerase chain reaction, Interferon