Thesis (M.Sc.)--Chulalongkorn University, 2011

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) virus infection may develop to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma, and the disease remains a public health problem worldwide. Immunomodulatory therapies such as pegylated interferon is a major approach for the treatment of CHB patients but only 30% of them response to IFN type I treatment. Proteomic approach was employed to analyze the serum proteome in CHB patients receiving PEG-Interferon alfa-2b to predict treatment response. Nineteen patients with HBeAg + CHB were included. These patients were followed up for more than 3 years after treatment and were defined as sustained responders (n=9) and non responders (n=10). The 2-DE and MS/MS analysis were performed to compare the serum proteome before, after initial PEG-Interferon alfa-2b treatment for 24 weeks and 48 weeks. Quantitative intensity of 2-D gel from patients of the two groups before treatment showed 7 differentially expressed proteins. In addition, 13 protein spots were found to significantly changed in sustained responders, and 6 protein spots significantly changed at the end of the 24-week in nonresponders. These proteins are including CD5 antigen-like precursor, α-2-HS-glycoprotein and Apolipoprotein A-I. Functional characterizations of all proteins with respect to immunity protection, lipid metabolism, and acute phase protein.