title: Hepatic interferon-gamma-induced protein-10 expression is more strongly associated with liver fibrosis than interleukin-28B single nucleotide polymorphisms in hepatocellular carcinoma resected patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) around IL-28B and interferon (IFN)-stimulated gene (ISG) expression are predictors of response to standard therapy involving IFN for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We analyzed the association between these predictors to improve the prediction of the response to IFN therapy after liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from 74 patients with HCV-induced HCC. The IL-28B genotype and hepatic ISG mRNA levels were analyzed to clarify their association, focusing on the progression of liver fibrosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty patients were identified as having major alleles (rs8099917 TT) and the remaining 24 patients had minor alleles (rs8099917 TG or GG). Hepatic ISG15 expression was lower in the IL-28B major group than that in the IL-28B minor group (P < 0.005). IP-10 expression was similar between the IL-28B major and minor groups (P = 0.44). IP-10 expression was elevated with advancing stages of liver fibrosis in HCV infected patients (P = 0.005). In patients with mild or no fibrosis, the IL-28B major group had lower IP-10 expression than the IL-28B minor group (P = 0.02). However, in patients with advanced fibrosis, IP-10 expression was not different between the IL-28B major and minor groups (P = 0.66).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatic ISG15 expression is associated with IL-28B polymorphisms, while IP-10 is strongly affected by liver fibrosis.
authors: Departments of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Hideyuki
authors: H
authors: Konishi
authors: Ken
authors: K
authors: Shirabe
authors: Shohei
authors: S
authors: Yoshiya
authors: Tetsuo
authors: T
authors: Ikeda
authors: Toru
authors: T
authors: Ikegami
authors: Tomoharu
authors: T
authors: Yoshizumi
authors: Ayae
authors: A
authors: Ikawa-Yoshida
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Motomura
authors: Takasuke
authors: T
authors: Fukuhara
authors: Yoshihiko
authors: Y
authors: Maehara
keywords: hepatitis C virus; interferon-γ-induced protein-10; interleukin-28B; liver fibrosis; single nucleotide polymorphism