title: Association of genetic polymorphisms with interferon-induced haematologic adverse effects in chronic hepatitis C patients.
abstract: Interferon (IFN)-based combination therapy with ribavirin has become the gold standard for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Haematologic toxicities, such as neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and anaemia, however, frequently cause poor treatment tolerance, resulting in poor therapeutic efficacy. The aim of this study was to identify host genetic polymorphisms associated with the efficacy or haematologic toxicity of IFN-based combination therapy in chronic hepatitis C patients. We performed comprehensive single nucleotide polymorphism detection in all exonic regions of the 12 genes involved in the IFN signalling pathway in 32 healthy Japanese volunteers. Of 167 identified polymorphisms, 35 were genotyped and tested for an association with the efficacy or toxicity of IFN plus ribavirin therapy in 240 chronic hepatitis C patients. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that low viral load, viral genotypes 2 and 3, and a lower degree of liver fibrosis, but none of the genetic polymorphisms, were significantly associated with a sustained virologic response. In contrast to efficacy, multiple linear regression analyses demonstrated that two polymorphisms (IFNAR1 10848-A/G and STAT2 4757-G/T) were significantly associated with IFN-induced neutropenia (P = 0.013 and P = 0.011, respectively). Thrombocytopenia was associated with the IRF7 789-G/A (P = 0.031). In conclusion, genetic polymorphisms in IFN signalling pathway-related genes were associated with IFN-induced neutropenia and thrombocytopenia in chronic hepatitis C patients. In contrast to toxicity, the efficacy of IFN-based therapy was largely dependent on viral factors and degree of liver fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Marusawa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nasu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Osaki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nabeshima
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chiba
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Matsuda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D050839:Interferon Regulatory Factor-7 / Q000235:genetics; D007372:Interferons / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D017354:Point Mutation; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D053633:Receptor, Interferon alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics; D050795:STAT2 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C507964:IFNAR1 protein, human; C494234:IRF7 protein, human; D050839:Interferon Regulatory Factor-7; D012367:RNA, Viral; D050795:STAT2 Transcription Factor; C494084:STAT2 protein, human; D053633:Receptor, Interferon alpha-beta; D007372:Interferons