title: Prediction of response to pegylated interferon and ribavirin in hepatitis C by polymorphisms in the viral core protein and very early dynamics of viremia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate power of amino acid polymorphisms in core protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV) for predicting sustained virological response (SVR) to pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN)/ribavirin, when they were combined with virological response.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peg-IFN/ribavirin was given to 118 patients infected with HCV genotype 1b in high viral loads. Amino acid polymorphisms (Arg70 vs. Gln70 and Leu91 vs. Met91) in combination with on-treatment virological responses were correlated with SVR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  End-of-treatment response (ETR) was achieved in 71% and SVR in 47% of the 118 patients. In multivariate analysis, Arg70 and Leu91, and higher ribavirin dose were independently associated with ETR. In patients with Gln70 and/or Met91, SVR was more frequent in those with than without prompt virological response (PVR) for a decrease in viral load >or=1.0 log by 48 h. Specificity in predicting patients without ETR and SVR, in combination with core polymorphisms, was not different between PVR and early virological response at 12 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Core polymorphisms combined with PVR would be useful in promptly identifying the patients who will not respond to Peg-IFN/ribavirin, thereby avoiding unrewarding side effects and high costs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatology, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. akuta-gi@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akuta
authors.forename: Fumitaka
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yatsuji
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sezaki
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hosaka
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Yasuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arase
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Yuzo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyakawa
authors.forename: Hiromitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kumada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b