title: A polymorphism in the microsomal triglyceride transfer protein can predict the response to antiviral therapy in Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 4 infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A polymorphism in the microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) is associated with hepatic fibrosis, and carriers showed higher levels of steatosis, higher levels of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and advanced fibrosis. The aim of this study was to study MTP expression pattern in HCV patients and impact of the MTP polymorphism on the response to antiviral therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred consecutive naive HCV genotype 4 patients were recruited to receive antiviral therapy, and 40 control subjects were also recruited. Demographic, laboratory, and histopathology data were collected. DNA was isolated, and the samples were subjected to polymerase chain reaction analysis and genotyping for MTP by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients and controls were age- and sex-matched (male/female, 56/44, age, 39.2±7.8 years for patients with HCV; male/female, 18/22, age, 38.1±8.1 years for controls). MTP single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (GG, GT, TT) and alleles (G, T) in the patients versus the controls were 70%, 21%, 9% & 80.5%, 19.5% versus 10%, 87.5%, 2.5% & 53.8%, 46.3%, respectively (p=0.0001). The sustained viral response (SVR) of the patients was 60%. SNPs in MTP genotypes (GG, GT, and TT) and alleles (G and T) in the responders and nonresponders were 71.7%, 25%, 3.3% & 84.2%, 15.8% versus 67.5%, 15%, 17.5% & 75%, 25% (p=0.038 and p=0.109, respectively). A multivariate analysis showed that the GT genotype was an independent predictor of SVR (area under the curve 90% and p=0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MTP could be a new predictor for SVR to antiviral therapy in patients with HCV genotype 4 infection.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Endemic Medicine and Hepatogastroenterology and Biochemistry, Cairo University Faculty of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Yasmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.affiliation: Departments of Endemic Medicine and Hepatogastroenterology and Biochemistry, Cairo University Faculty of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Olfat
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shaker
authors.affiliation: Departments of Endemic Medicine and Hepatogastroenterology and Biochemistry, Cairo University Faculty of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Yasser
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nassar
authors.affiliation: Departments of Endemic Medicine and Hepatogastroenterology and Biochemistry, Cairo University Faculty of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Lama
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Departments of Endemic Medicine and Hepatogastroenterology and Biochemistry, Cairo University Faculty of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Said
authors.affiliation: Departments of Endemic Medicine and Hepatogastroenterology and Biochemistry, Cairo University Faculty of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Gamal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Esmat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral; C106092:microsomal triglyceride transfer protein
keywords: Hepatitis C virus; Microsomal triglyceride transfer protein polymorphism; Predictor; Response