Polymorphisms in the IFNAR1 gene in patients with chronic hepatitis C: outcome of combined IFN-alpha therapy.
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.
Tena-Tomás
Cristina
C
Department of Parasitology, Institute for Tropical Medicine, Wilhelmstr. 27, 72074 Tübingen, Germany.
Pedroso
Maria Lucia
ML
de Messias-Reason
Iara J
IJ
Kremsner
Peter G
PG
Kun
Jürgen F J
JF
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