Interleukin 28B

Interleukin 28B (interferon-λ 3) is a is_associated_with::protein that in humans is encoded by the IL28B is_associated_with::gene.

This gene encodes a is_associated_with::cytokine distantly related to type I is_associated_with::interferons and the IL-10 family. This gene, interleukin 28A (IL28A), and interleukin 29 (IL29) are three closely related cytokine genes that form a cytokine gene cluster on a chromosomal region mapped to 19q13. Expression of the cytokines encoded by the three genes can be induced by viral infection. All three cytokines have been shown to interact with a heterodimeric class II cytokine receptor that consists of interleukin 10 receptor, beta (IL10RB) and interleukin 28 receptor, alpha (IL28RA). [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].

Implications to hepatitis C treatment
In individuals with chronic is_associated_with::hepatitis C, the presence of specific polymorphisms near the IL28B gene has been associated with an increased response in treatment for the condition with is_associated_with::interferon and is_associated_with::ribavirin. The same polymorphisms were also demonstrated at higher frequencies in individuals infected with hepatitis C who cleared the infection spontaneously, compared to those that developed is_associated_with::chronic hepatitis from the condition. A functional variant that determines the production of an antiviral protein has been linked to the polymorphisms in IL28B and implicated in the clearance of hepatitis C virus.