title: Interleukin-4 polymorphisms and response to combination therapy in Egyptian chronic hepatitis C patients.
abstract: In hepatitis C infection, the production of inappropriate cytokines levels may contribute to viral persistence and may affect the response to antiviral therapy. We investigate the effect of IL4 C-590T and C-33T polymorphisms on the response to combination therapy with interferon and ribavirin in chronic HCV patients. These single nucleotide polymorphisms were determined by PCR-RFLP in 235 responder and 210 non-responder to combination therapy. The IL4-590 T/T and -33 T/T genotypes were associated with resistance to the therapy (p<0.001, p=0.001 respectively). Haplotypes T(-590) T(-33) and T(-590) C(-33) were associated with a higher risk in non-responder patients than the responders (p<0.001 for each) while frequency of haplotype C(-590) C(-33) (with all wild alleles) was significantly higher in responders as compared to non-responders (p<0.001). These results suggest that inheritance of the IL4 polymorphisms may be associated with resistance to combined antiviral therapy in Egyptian HCV patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt. sallyshalaby@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Sally M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Shalaby
authors.forename: Mohamed I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Radwan
authors.forename: Shymaa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abdelazim
authors.forename: Abeer M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nafee
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005838:Genotype; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; C508598:IL4 protein, human; D015847:Interleukin-4; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons