Association of pretreatment serum interferon gamma inducible protein 10 levels with sustained virological response to peginterferon plus ribavirin therapy in genotype 1 infected patients with chronic hepatitis C.
BACKGROUND
Increased serum and intrahepatic interferon gamma inducible protein 10 (IP-10) levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) have been described.


OBJECTIVE
To analyse the possible association of serum IP-10 levels with different outcomes to antiviral therapy.


METHODS
A total of 137 CHC patients treated with peginterferon plus ribavirin.


METHODS
Serum IP-10 levels were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay before therapy, after 12 weeks of treatment, and 24 weeks after cessation of therapy. Variables significantly associated with a sustained virological response (SVR) on univariate analysis were included in a multivariate logistic regression model.


RESULTS
Pretreatment serum IP-10 levels in patients with SVR were significantly lower than in non-responders (NR) (332.4 (222.1) v 476.8 (305.3) pg/ml, respectively; p=0.004). Serum IP-10 concentrations significantly decreased in patients with SVR (pretreatment: 332.4 (222.1) pg/ml; post-treatment: 170.2 (140.1) pg/ml; p<0.001) but not in NR (pretreatment: 476.8 (305.3) pg/ml; post treatment: 387.3 (268.1) pg/ml; p=0.06). By multivariate analysis, non-1 genotype (odds ratio (OR) 3.5 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-10.4); p=0.003) and low viral load at baseline (OR 0.34 (95% CI 0.14-0.79); p=0.01) were independent predictors of SVR in all patients. When multivariate analysis was restricted to patients with genotype 1, only baseline viral load (OR 0.38 (95% CI 0.155-0.96); p=0.04) and pretreatment serum IP-10 levels (OR 0.99 (95% CI 0.996-0.999); p=0.03) were identified as predictive factors of SVR.


CONCLUSIONS
Pretreatment serum IP-10 behaves as a predictive factor of SVR to peginterferon plus ribavirin therapy in genotype 1 infected patients.
Diago
M
M
Section of Hepatology, University General Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
Castellano
G
G
García-Samaniego
J
J
Pérez
C
C
Fernández
I
I
Romero
M
M
Iacono
O L
OL
García-Monzón
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; D019743:Chemokines, CXC / Q000097:blood*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011379:Prognosis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a