title: Role of interleukin 28B rs12979860 C/T polymorphism on the histological outcome of chronic hepatitis C: relationship with gender and viral genotype.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to determine whether the single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs12979860 C/T) of the interleukin 28B (IL-28B) gene, which is associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance, is also associated with fibrosis in chronic HCV infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  An RFLP-PCR technique was used to genotype 629 HCV-positive patients (200 with cirrhosis) and 428 healthy control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The genotype frequencies in the controls and chronic hepatitis C patients were as follows: C/C 47.0% vs. 32.6%, C/T 41.8% vs. 52.8% and T/T 11.2% vs. 14.6% (p < 0.0001). The C allele frequency was higher in HCV-2- (0.635) and 3- (0.692) infected patients in comparison to those infected with HCV-1 (0.550) or 4-5 (0.600) (p < 0.001). Infected T/T homozygotes had a mean staging score higher than other patients (3.50 vs. 3.04, p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL-28B rs12979860 C/T polymorphism is associated with a greater likelihood of HCV persistence, particularly in HCV genotypes 1 and 4. The T allele affects the severity of liver fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Edmondo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Falleti
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bitetto
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fabris
authors.forename: Annarosa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cussigh
authors.forename: Ezio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fornasiere
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cmet
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fumolo
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bignulin
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fontanini
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cerutti
authors.forename: Rosalba
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Minisini
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pirisi
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toniutto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D005787:Gene Frequency; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons; D007378:Interleukins / Q000235:genetics*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D012737:Sex Factors; D019562:Viral Load / Q000235:genetics; D000095022:Interferon Lambda
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D007372:Interferons; D007378:Interleukins; C000624353:interferon-lambda, human; D000095022:Interferon Lambda