title: Core amino acid variation at position 110 is associated with sustained virological response in Caucasian patients with chronic hepatitis C virus 1b infection.
abstract: The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of core variations on sustained virological response (SVR) to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin (PEG-IFN/RBV) and its association with predictive factors of response in Caucasian patients infected with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV-1). Full-length core sequences were analyzed in 100 Caucasian HCV-1-infected patients who received therapy with PEG-IFN/RBV. The associations between variations in the core protein and SVR, as well as with predictors of SVR, were analyzed. Variations at core 62, 70 and 110 were selected as candidates. There were almost no variations at these positions among patients harboring HCV-1a. However, they were identified in 10 (30.3 %), 21 (63.6 %) and 13 (39.4 %) subjects with HCV-1b, respectively. Among the HCV-1b patients, 39.1 % individuals carrying core R62 and 70 % subjects with core R62G showed SVR (p = 0.141), and 66.7 % of HCV-1b patients harboring core R70 and 38.1 % with core R70Q achieved SVR (p = 0.157), whereas the rate of SVR was 70 % for individuals with core T110 and 15.4 % for those with core T110N (p = 0.004). No statistical interaction between core variations and IL28B genotype was observed. Patients with R70 showed higher median (interquartile range) baseline plasma levels of low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) than those with R70Q (96 [86-118] mg/dL vs. 76 [54-88] mg/dL, p = 0.014). We concluded that a substitution at core 110 is associated with a lower rate of SVR in Caucasian HCV-1b-infected patients receiving PEG-IFN/RBV. Furthermore, the variation at the core 70 position is related to plasma levels of LDL-C in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Hospital Universitario de Valme, Avenida de Bellavista s/n., 41014, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Di Lello
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mira
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Neukam
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parra-Sánchez
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Guelfo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cifuentes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Macías
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Palomares
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gómez-Mateos
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pineda
authors.forename: Luis M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Real
mesh_terms: D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000235:genetics*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus; D012254:Ribavirin