title: Polymorphisms in the IFNAR1 gene in patients with chronic hepatitis C: outcome of combined IFN-alpha therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) alone or in combination with ribavirin has been used for the last decade in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C, although the achievement of a sustained virological response (SVR) has not been very satisfactory. The treatment outcome depends on viral genotypes and host genetic polymorphisms in genes involved in the IFN-alpha signaling cascade. In this paper, we investigated the distribution of two variants of the IFNAR1 gene, G17470C and L168V, in two patient groups having received IFN-alpha alone or in combination with ribavirin.
  
  
  METHODS
  The analysis was performed using DNA sequencing of the relevant gene fragments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that when combination therapy with high dose IFN-alpha and ribavirin is administered, HCV genotypes and age rather than the IFNAR1 polymorphisms are the predictors of a sustained response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Institute for Tropical Medicine, Wilhelmstr. 27, 72074 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tena-Tomás
authors.forename: Maria Lucia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Pedroso
authors.forename: Iara J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: de Messias-Reason
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Kremsner
authors.forename: Jürgen F J
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Kun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D016679:Genome, Viral; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D053633:Receptor, Interferon alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012074:Remission Induction; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome