Association of the Treatment Induced Clearance of Hepatitis C Virus Infection with the IL28B Gene Polymorphisms

Pavlina Dzekova Vidimliski, Igor G Nikolov, Nadica Matevska Geshkovska, Yana Boyanova, Nina Nikolova, Grigore Romanciuc, Dan Dumitrascu, Viktorija Caloska- Ivanova, Nenad Joksimovic, Krasimir Antonov, Lyudmila Mateva, Lionel Rostaing, Aleksandar Dimovski, Aleksandar Sikole*

Background: It has been shown that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) near the interleukin 28B (IL28B) gene were associated with sustained viral response following standard treatment of hepatitis C virus infection.

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between the SNPs near the IL28B gene and the response to the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

Methods: The genotyping of the three IL28B gene polymorphisms: rs12979860, rs8099917, and  rs12980275 was done in 100 Caucasian patients with chronic hepatitis C previously treated with standard antiviral therapy. The study group consisted of 28 hemodialysis patients with end stage renal disease treated with pegylated interferon α and 72 patients without renal disease treated with pegylated interferon α and ribavirin. All patients finished the antiviral treatment at least 6 months before enrollment in the study. Sustained viral response, defined as an absence of detectable HCV RNA in the serum, was tested by an assay with a sensitivity of 20 IU/mL.

Results: Sustained viral response was achieved in 56% (56/100) of the treated patients. The three IL28B gene polymorphisms (CC genotype of rs12979860, TT genotype of rs8099917, and AA genotype of rs12980275) were associated with sustained viral response (p=0.006, p=0.002, p=0.007, respectively) in study patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with standard antiviral therapy.

Conclusion: The IL28B gene polymorphisms: rs12979860, rs8099917, and rs12980275 were significantly associated with the successful treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

Keywords: IL28B gene; Single nucleotide polymorphisms; Chronic hepatitis C; Pegylated interferon α; Ribavirin; Sustained viral response

Published on: Dec 28, 2015 Pages: 5-8

Full Text PDF Full Text HTML DOI: 10.17352/ahr.000002
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