title: A polymorphism near IL28B is associated with spontaneous clearance of acute hepatitis C virus and jaundice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) upstream of the IL28B gene has been associated with response of patients with chronic hepatitis C to therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin and also with spontaneous clearance of acute hepatitis C in a heterogeneous population. We analyzed the association between IL28B and the clinical presentation of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a homogeneous population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the SNP rs12979860 in 190 women from the German anti-D cohort (infected with HCV genotype 1b via contaminated rhesus prophylaxis) and its association with spontaneous clearance. Clinical data were available in 136 women with acute infection who were also evaluated for IL28B genotype. Based on results of a TaqMan polymerase chain reaction assay, the rs12979860 SNP genotypes studied were C/C, C/T, or T/T.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Spontaneous clearance was more common in patients with the C/C genotype (43/67; 64%) compared with C/T (22/90; 24%) or T/T (2/33; 6%) (P < .001). Jaundice during acute infection was more common among patients with C/C genotype (32.7%) than non-C/C patients (with C/T or T/T) (16.1%; P = .032). In C/C patients, jaundice during acute infection was not associated with an increased chance of spontaneous clearance (56.3%) compared with those without jaundice (60.6%). In contrast, in non-C/C patients, jaundice was associated with a higher likelihood of spontaneous clearance (42.9%) compared with those without jaundice (13.7%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SNP rs12979860 upstream of IL28B is associated with spontaneous clearance of HCV. Women with the C/T or T/T genotype who did not develop jaundice had a lower chance of spontaneous clearance of HCV infection.
authors.affiliation: Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA. hans.tillmann@duke.edu
authors.forename: Hans L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Tillmann
authors.forename: Alex J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Keyur
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiese
authors.forename: Hannelore
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tenckhoff
authors.forename: Hans D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Nischalke
authors.forename: Yuliya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lokhnygina
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kullig
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Göbel
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Capka
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiegand
authors.forename: Ingolf
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schiefke
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Güthoff
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grüngreiff
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: König
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Spengler
authors.forename: Jeanette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Kevin V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Shianna
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: McHutchison
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Timm
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nattermann
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons; D007378:Interleukins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D007565:Jaundice / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult; D000095022:Interferon Lambda
chemical_list: D004247:DNA; D007372:Interferons; D007378:Interleukins; C000624353:interferon-lambda, human; D000095022:Interferon Lambda