T29C genotype polymorphism of estrogen receptor alpha is associated with initial response to interferon-alpha therapy in chronic hepatitis B patients.
BACKGROUND
Virological clearance, delayed progression to cirrhosis or liver cancer, and increased survival are the long-term goals of antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis B patients. Identification of host factors correlated with therapeutic response may contribute greatly to individual treatment. This study aimed at investigating whether T29C genotype polymorphism of estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) is associated with the initial response to interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) therapy in chronic hepatitis B patients.


METHODS
The initial responses of 100 patients to IFN-alpha therapy were evaluated and compared by classifying them into three groups according to T29C genotype polymorphism of ESR1: T/T, T/C, and C/C genotype groups. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to analyze the genotype polymorphism in T29C.


RESULTS
The frequency of initially combined response was markedly higher in both the T/T and T/C groups than in the C/C group (Z=10.326, P=0.006 and Z=26.247, P=0.000, respectively). In addition, the initial virological response was higher in the T/T and T/C groups than the C/C group (X2=5.674, P=0.017 and X2=4.980, P=0.026, respectively). In 78 initially HBeAg-positive patients, however, the frequency of initial e-antigen disappearance or seroconversion among the T/T, T/C, and C/C genotype groups was 34.15%, 27.78% and 15.79%, respectively, which were not significantly different.


CONCLUSIONS
The T29C genotype polymorphism of ESR1 is associated with the initial response to IFN-alpha in patients with chronic hepatitis B, and might be a significant marker for predicting the initial response to IFN-alpha, at least in this study population.
Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical College, Hefei, China.
Ting-Ting
TT
Zhang
Zhen-Hua
ZH
Zhang
Yu-Feng
YF
Gao
Ya-Fei
YF
Zhang
Dong-Liang
DL
Yang
Xu
X
Li
D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002681:China; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; C506487:ESR1 protein, human; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a