title: The Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Core Amino Acid 70 Substitution and Genotypes of Polymorphisms Near the IFNL3 Gene in Iranian Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Molecular studies have demonstrated that the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype and host genetics play predictive roles in the management of patients infected with HCV.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the HCV genotype, core amino acid (aa) 70 substitution, and polymorphisms near the IFNL3 gene (including rs12979860 and rs8099917) among Iranian patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, the molecular profiles of the HCV genotype, core aa 70 substitution, and rs12979860 and rs8099917 polymorphisms and plasma HCV RNA levels were determined in 429 CHC patients including 141 hemophilic, 84 thalassemic, and 204 non-hemophilic, non-thalassemic patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hepatitis C virus subtype 1a was the most common subtype in the study population. Core aa substitution Arg70Gln was strongly associated with cirrhosis (OR = 2.49; 95% CI = 1.13 - 5.50; P = 0.020). Core aa 70 substitutions were more frequently observed in patients with the HCV subtype 1b than in patients with any other HCV subtypes (P < 0.001). Core aa 70 substitutions were also more common in patients with the rs12979860 TT genotype than in patients with non-TT genotypes (17.3% vs. 8.5%, P = 0.022) and also in rs8099917 non-TT genotypes than in the TT genotype (14.0% vs. 7.0%, P = 0.026). The HCV genotypes and rs8099917 polymorphisms were correlated in which HCV subtype 1b was in favor of rs8099917 GG and HCV subtype 3a favored rs8099917 TT (P = 0.021). Furthermore, the rs12979860 TT and rs8099917 GG genotypes showed significantly lower HCV RNA levels than the other genotypes (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is an as yet unexplained association between HCV and host parameters with unknown mechanisms in patients with chronic HCV infection. The assessments of core aa 70 substitution and polymorphisms near the IFNL3 gene could offer promising steps to improve the management of patients with HCV.
authors.affiliation: Baqiyatallah Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran; School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Danesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kadjbaf
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keshvari
authors.affiliation: Baqiyatallah Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran; Middle East Liver Disease (MELD) Center, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Moayed
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Alavian
authors.affiliation: Armin Pathobiology Laboratory, Tehran, IR Iran; Department of Biology, Arsanjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arsanjan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pouryasin
authors.affiliation: Baqiyatallah Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran; Middle East Liver Disease (MELD) Center, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Bita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Behnava
authors.affiliation: Baqiyatallah Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran; Middle East Liver Disease (MELD) Center, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Shima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salimi
authors.affiliation: Baqiyatallah Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran; Middle East Liver Disease (MELD) Center, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mehrnoush
authors.affiliation: Middle East Liver Disease (MELD) Center, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Pegah
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karimi Elizee
authors.affiliation: Baqiyatallah Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran; Middle East Liver Disease (MELD) Center, Tehran, IR Iran; Armin Pathobiology Laboratory, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Heidar
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sharafi
keywords: Chronic hepatitis C; HCV Genotypes; Hemophilia; IFN-Lambda-3 Protein; Thalassemia; Viral Core Protein