Biological efficacy and signal transduction through STAT proteins of recombinant duck interferon in duck hepatitis B virus infection.

The aim of this study was to characterize the interferon induced intracellular signals in duck hepatocytes and to investigate the effects of duck interferon on virus replication in duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) infected ducks. Interestingly, duck interferon was found to activate intracellular signal transduction pathways similar to those of its mammalian counterparts. An interferon stimulated gel shift activity like that of gene factor 3 is induced, as well as serum inducible element binding factors homologous to serum inducible factor A (SIF-A), SIF-B and SIF-C. Duck interferon induced signal transducer and activator of transcription activation is not inhibited by DHBV infection of hepatocytes. DHBV infected ducks treated for 10 days with recombinant duck interferon show a decrease in viral DNA in hepatocytes, and in many cases disappearance of viraemia. These findings confirm the usefulness of the DHBV infection model for the study of human hepatitis B virus infection.