• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.25-29
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• 2013

Ribavirin is an antiviral drug used in combination with pegylated interferon-${\alpha}$ (IFN-${\alpha}$) for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Recently, ribavirin was reported to inhibit the suppressive activity of regulatory T (Treg) cells. In the present study, we re-evaluated the effect of ribavirin on $CD4^+$ $CD4^+$ $CD25^+$ Treg cells from normal donors. First, we examined the expression of CTLA-4 and CD39, which are known to play a role in the suppressive function of Treg cells. We found that ribavirin treatment did not modulate the expression of CTLA-4 and CD39 in Treg cells. We also studied the effect of ribavirin on Treg cells in the presence of IFN-${\alpha}$; however, the expression of CTLA-4 and CD39 in Treg cells was not changed by ribavirin in the presence of IFN-${\alpha}$. Next, we directly evaluated the effect of ribavirin on the suppressive activity of Treg cells in the standard Treg suppression assay, by co-culturing CFSE-labeled non-Treg $CD4^+$ T cells with purified Treg cells. We found that ribavirin did not attenuate the suppressive activity of Treg cells. Taken together, while ribavirin reversed Treg cell-mediated suppression of effector T cells in the previous study, we herein demonstrate that ribavirin does not impair the suppressive activity of Treg cells.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.209-213
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• 1986

To study the therapeutic effect of ribavirin, a broad spectrum antiviral agent, for chronic hepatitis B in pediatric patients, 24 patients who were diagnosed as chronic hepatitis B (elevated SGOT and SGPT and positive HBsAg and HBeAg for more than 6 months) at the pediatric department of Yeungnam University Hospital from Mar. 1, 1985 to Sep. 30, 1986 were randomly divided into two groups. Ribavirin was administered to 11 patients in dose of 15mg/kg/day and 13 patients were control group and both groups were followed for 12 months. Serum HBsAg and HBeAg were measured with RIA(Ausria-1I and Abbott-HBe, respectively) and compared in PIN ratio (counts per minute of patient's sample/counts per minute of normal serum). There were no statistically significant reductions in PIN ratios of HBsAg and HBeAg in both groups between prior to the therapy and 12 months follow-up period. It seems that ribavirin does not have the therapeutic effect on chronic hepatis B in children. Also, there were no noticeable side effects from ribavirin therapy.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.52-55
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• 2020

Background: Immunomodulatory properties of interferon (IFN) have been documented. It may induce autoimmune diseases such as autoimmune thyroiditis with hypo- or hyperthyroidism. In addition, it may impair thyroid hormone synthesis through affecting iodide organification in thyroid gland. Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe thyroid function tests disturbances in children with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) receiving pegylated interferon-alpha (PEG IFN-α) plus ribavirin. Methods: Fifty children with CHC virus infection who received combined pegylated interferon-alpha with ribavirin were selected. Other 50 apparently healthy children of matched age and sex (considered as control group) were selected. All children (100) were subject to liver function tests, virological studies, and follow-up of thyroid function test during and after the treatment course. Results: Our study showed that 28% of children received combined PEG IFN-α plus ribavirin showed subclinical hypothyroidism. After 24 weeks treatment with combined therapy of IFN plus ribavirin, the mean level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was 3.23±88 mU/mL, while TSH was 1.16±0.77 mU/mL before starting treatment. On the other hand, mean TSH was 1.09±0.92 mU/mL in normal control group. Conclusion: This study revealed an association between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and treatment with IFN-alpha and ribavirin in children. Further studies on larger number of patients and longer follow-up duration are recommended for further confirmation.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.361-364
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• 1989

The Synthesis of acyclic derivatives of ribavirin (2'-azido and halo seco derivatives) for the development of new antiviral agents is described. These acyclic nucleosides are synthesized from ribavirin by the method of ring opening reaction of sugar moietry.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.245-250
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• 2015

Middle East respiratory syndrome - coronavirus infection has posed substantial threat to public health with extremely high mortality rate in 2015. Although there are no approved novel medications for coronavirus, several antiviral agents such as ribavirin and interferon have been tried to MERS patients according to the in-vitro inhibitory effect, therapeutic effect on the animal model and experience from the severe acute respiratory syndrome - coronavirus infection. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical evidence of the antiviral treatment for MERS-CoV infection. After systematically searching the medical literature databases, I found five studies described the clinical efficacy of antiviral treatment on MERS patients. All of them were about the combination therapy of ribavirin and interferon (IFN). Two of them were retrospective cohort studies with quality of evidence (QOE) II and the others were observational study and case reports with QOE III. As a result of critical appraisal, it is concluded that none of those studies represented confirmatory clinical evidence of the efficacy of ribavirin and interferon combination therapy on MERS patients. Although Omrani et al. represented that ribavirin and IFN treatment had significantly improved survival at 14 days, it was not enough time to conclude the effect.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2006

To prove whether error catastrophe /lethal mutagenesis is the primary antiviral mechanism of action of ribavirin against foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). Ribavirin passage experiments were performed and supernatants of $Rp_1$ to $Rp_5$ were harvested. Morphological alterations as well as the levels of viral RNAs, proteins, and infectious particles in the BHK-21 cells infected using the supernatants of $Rp_1$ to $Rp_5$ and control were measured by microscope, real-time RT-PCR, western-blotting and plaque assays, respectively. The mutation frequency was measured by sequencing the complete P1- and 3D-encoding region of FMDV after a single round of virus infection from ribavirin-treated or untreated FMDV-infected cells. Ribavirin treatment for FMDV caused dramatically inhibition of multiplication in cell cultures. The levels of viral RNAs, proteins, and infectious particles in the BHK-21 cells infected were more greatly reduced along with the passage from $Rp_1$ to $Rp_5$, moreover, nucleocapsid protein could not be detected and no recovery of infectious virus in the supernatant or detection of intracellular viral RNA was observed at the $Rp_5$-infected cells. A high mutation rate, giving rise to an 8-and 11-fold increase in mutagenesis and resulting in some amino acid substitutions, was found in viral RNA synthesized at a single round of virus infection in the presence of ribavirin of $1000\;{\mu}M$ and caused a 99.7% loss in viral infectivity in contrast with parallel untreated control virus. These results suggest that the antiviral molecular mechanism of ribavirin is based on the lethal mutagenesis/error catastrophe, that is, the ribavirin is not merely an antiviral reagent but also an effective mutagen.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.391-396
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• 2016

In this study, in vitro-cultured 'Mansoo' pear (Pyrus pyrifolia L.) plants infected with Apple stem grooving virus (ASGV) were used for testing the efficiency of the virus elimination methods. The shoot tips cut from infected plants were treated by thermotherapy ($37^{\circ}C$), cold therapy ($4^{\circ}C$), chemotherapy with ribavirin, and combination of these methods. Treatment periods were 2, 4, and 8 weeks, and concentrations of ribavirin were 20 and $40mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$. The efficiency of ASGV elimination was evaluated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The shoot survival rate was the highest at 100% after cold therapy, chemotherapy, and combination of two methods, while the rate was the lowest at 33.3% after thermotherapy for 2 weeks. The shoot survival rate after chemotherapy decreased gradually as the treatment period was prolonged. The ASGV elimination rate was the highest at 100% after ribavirin treatment at a concentration of $40mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ and combination of ribavirin treatment and thermotherapy for 2 weeks, whereas the ASGV elimination rate after cold therapy was the lowest at 16.7%. However, the efficiency of ASGV elimination was enhanced up to 43.3% by the combination of cold therapy and ribavirin treatment. The efficiency of ASGV elimination for all treatments was increased as the treatment period was prolonged. Based on these results, we suggest that ribavirin treatment at a concentration of $20mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ for 4 weeks or at a concentration of $40mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ for 2 weeks combined with shoot tip culture was efficient for the elimination of ASGV from pear.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.101-105
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• 2003

To eradicate several viruses such as PVX, PVY, and PLRV which often cause considerable damages to the growth and yields of potatoes, several stems including shoot tips were excised from the potato plants grown for 50 days and electric shock was treated. Shoot tips excised from electric-shocked stems were transferred into the medium supplemented with antiviral compound, ribavirin to examine the combinatorial effect. When treated only with 20 mg/L ribavirin, PVX concentration in the regenerated plant-lets was slowly decreased as repeating sub-culture and finally, it took 32 weeks to reach completely PVX-free stock. With an electric shock treatment (10 mA electric current), all the replicates became free from PVY. However, PLRV was not completely eradicated from 94P70-4 and 93P29-3 lines even by treating with 10 mA electric shock. In this case, both electric shock and antiviral compound treatments in axillary buds from the stem segment were successful in eradicating viral contamination.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.162-167
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• 2012

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the major cause of lower respiratory tract infection in infants. Life-threatening RSV infection is often reported in young children and immunocompromised hosts. Since there is no report on ribavirin therapy for RSV pneumonia in pediatric cancer patients in Korea, we report one case of RSV pneumonia that developed in an infant with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Despite administration of oral ribavirin and intravenous immunoglobulin, the patient's respiratory distress worsened and admission to an intensive care unit was necessary. Chest x-ray showed multifocal consolidation, pneumothorax, and pneumomediastinum. Treatment with aerosolized ribavirin led to significant clinical improvement. The role of aerosolized ribavirin is still controversial, but it might have a therapeutic potential for severe RSV pneumonia in children with leukemia.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.65-69
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• 1999

Effect of chemo- and thermotherapy on LSV elimination was investigated in Lilium Oriental Hybrid cv. Casa Blanca which was infected by LSV. Either 20 mg/L ribavirin or the treatment of 35$^{\circ}C$/$25^{\circ}C$ (day/night) thermotherapy resulted in the desired growth rate and high percentage (86%, 80% respectively) of LSV elimination. When we combinated those application, the rate of LSV elimination was increased with the time of heat treatment, and was 100% by all heat treatment of 16 weeks. After all of the LSV-free plants transferred into the soil, the number of LSV-free plants was 8 plants out of 12 plants and the efficiency of LSV elimination was best in the combination of 20 mg/L ribavirin and 8 weeks of heat treatment. About 21 % of plants kept LSV-free after transferred all of the LSV-free plants into the soil, the others became LSV-infected again.