title: Serum chemokine levels are associated with the outcome of pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Serum chemokine levels and amino acid substitutions in the interferon-sensitivity determining region (ISDR) and core region have been associated with treatment outcome of pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy in genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. The present study was conducted to clarify the association between serum chemokines and treatment outcome in patients with chronic HCV-1 infection in a Japanese cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of six serum chemokines were quantified before, during and after pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment in 79 genotype 1 chronic HCV patients using a multiple bead array system. Viral ISDR and core region variants were determined by direct sequencing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The baseline serum levels of eotaxin, IP-10 and RANTES were significantly higher in chronic HCV patients than in controls. High levels of eotaxin and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1β before therapy and more than two mutations in the ISDR were associated with a sustained virological response, and patients with more than two mutations in the ISDR also had significantly higher MIP-1β levels. Receiver-operator curve analysis showed a 77% sensitivity and 73% specificity for predicting an SVR using MIP-1β values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum MIP-1β levels may predict the response to HCV treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin and are associated with amino acid substitutions in the ISDR.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine, Division of Hepatology and Gastroenterology Department of Legal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine Department of Pharmacy, Shinshu University Hospital, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Suguru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoneda
authors.forename: Takeji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Umemura
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Joshita
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ichijo
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Kaname
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshizawa
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katsuyama
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ota
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tanaka