Effects of hepatitis B virus infection on the interferon response in immunodeficient human hepatocyte chimeric mice.

Complementary DNA microarray analysis of human livers cannot exclude the influence of the immunological response. In this study, complementary DNA microarray analysis was performed under immunodeficient conditions with human hepatocyte chimeric mice, and gene expression profiles were analyzed by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and/or interferon treatment. The expression levels of 183 of 525 genes upregulated by interferon treatment were significantly suppressed in response to HBV infection. Suppressed genes were statistically significantly associated with the interferon signaling pathway and pattern recognition receptors in the bacteria/virus recognition pathway (P = 1.0 × 10(-8) and P = 1.2 × 10(-8), respectively). HBV infection attenuated virus recognition and interferon response in hepatocytes, which facilitated HBV escape from innate immunity.