title: Assessment of interleukin 28B genotype as a predictor of response to combined therapy with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin in HCV infected Egyptian patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of interleukin 28B (IL28B) gene is associated with spontaneous clearance and variable response to combined therapy with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients. This study aimed at assessing the value of IL28B rs8099917 gene polymorphism in predicting sustained virological response (SVR) among HCV infected Egyptian patients treated with PEG-IFN and RBV.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study was conducted on 153 chronic HCV infected patients treated with PEG-IFN and RBV. Genotyping of rs8099917 near the IL-28B gene was performed by Real Time PCR using Taq-Man probe assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall SVR was achieved in 49.6% of patients. Patients with TT genotype showed significantly higher SVR rate than minor allele (TG/GG) carriers (74% vs. 26%, P=0.004). Logistic regression analysis revealed that TT carriers had 2.8 higher chance for SVR achievement than G allele carriers TG/GG (OR=2.8, 95% CI=1.4-5.6, P=0.004). Younger age, male sex and low activity grading were significant predictors of SVR (P=0.003, P=<0.001 and P<0.001 respectively). High pretreatment AST levels and advanced liver fibrosis were negative predictors of SVR (P=0.04 and P<0.001 respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL28B genotype is a significant pre-treatment predictor of response to PEG-IFN/RBV in HCV infected Egyptian patients.
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. Electronic address: muna_fathy@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mona M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Fathy
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Abo Taleb
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: El Hawary
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mona I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Nabih
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Wael M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Aref
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Manal M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Makhlouf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007372:Interferons; D007378:Interleukins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000095022:Interferon Lambda
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D007372:Interferons; D007378:Interleukins; D012254:Ribavirin; C000624353:interferon-lambda, human; D000095022:Interferon Lambda
keywords: Genotype; Interferonλ; Interleukin 28B; Real Time PCR