title: Association of interferon-γ inducible protein-10 pretreatment level and sustained virological response in HCV-positive Egyptian patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The response to antiviral therapy in HCV infected patients depends on several predictive factors; however, the ability to achieve sustained virological response is still limited to around 60% of the patients infected with the HCV-4 genotype. Increased serum and intrahepatic interferon -γ inducible protein 10 (IP-10) levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C have been described. The aim of the work was to study the impact of pretreatment serum IP-10 level on the antiviral treatment outcome in a group of Egyptian patients infected with HCV.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 80 treatment naive HCV patients. Serum IP-10 levels were determined by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay before therapy was introduced. Serum samples were examined twice by Real-Time PCR after complete course of therapy for detection of HCV RNA; at the end of the antiviral therapy and six months later to detect sustained virological response (SVR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  57 patients (71%) achieved SVR while 23 (29%) patients were non-responders (NR). Pretreatment serum IP-10 levels were significantly lower in patients who achieved SVR than in NR (p=0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low pretreatment serum IP-10 is a favorable predictive of response to antiviral HCV therapy in Egyptian patients.
authors.affiliation: Cairo University; e-mail: rania.zayed@kasralainy.edu.eg.
authors.forename: Dalia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Omran
authors.forename: Sherif
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamdy
authors.forename: Salwa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tawfik
authors.forename: Serag
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Esmat
authors.forename: Doa'a A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.forename: Rania A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Zayed
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10 / Q000378:metabolism*; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000502:physiology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C114753:CXCL10 protein, human; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10
keywords: HCV; IP-10; predictors; response; therapy