[Antiviral effect of recombinant interferon-alpha on hepatitis A virus replication in human liver cells].

Two recombinant interferons-alpha (IFNs-alpha) were assayed for their antiviral effect on hepatitis A virus (HAV) replication in the human hepatoma cell line PLC/PRF/5. IFN alpha-2a and IFN alpha-2b resulted in concentration-dependent inhibition of HAV antigen expression and HAV infectivity at non toxic concentrations. Their selectivity indices, calculated as the ratio of the dose that reduced the number of viable cells to 50% (CD50) to the effective dose that inhibited 50% of viral antigen expression (ED50) were > 1000. Recombinant IFN-alpha emerged, from the present study, as a promising candidate for chemotherapy of hepatitis A.