title: The interferon lambda 4 rs368234815 predicts treatment response to pegylated-interferon alpha and ribavirin in hemophilic patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A dinucleotide variant rs368234815 in interferon lambda 4 (IFNL4) gene was recently found to be associated with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment response. This study aimed to assess the impact ofIFNL4rs368234815 polymorphism on treatment response to pegylated-IFN alpha (Peg-IFN-α) and ribavirin (RBV) in hemophilic patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective study, 92 hemophilic patients with CHC who were treated with Peg-IFN-α/RBV were investigated. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) inIFNLgenomic region including rs368234815, rs12979860, and rs8099917 were analyzed by DNA sequencing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 92 patients, 63 (68.5%) achieved sustained virological response (SVR). Of the 43 patients with rs368234815 TT/TT genotype, 36 (83.7%) achieved SVR, while in 49 patients with non-TT/TT genotypes, 27 (55.1%) achieved SVR. Other pretreatment parameters predicted SVR were patients' body mass index, HCV genotype, rs12979860, and rs8099917 SNPs. In multivariate analysis, all above-mentioned parameters except rs8099917 remained as predictors of SVR.IFNL4rs368234815 was a strong predictor of SVR; however, the prediction power of this SNP was the same as that of rs12979860 SNP in the patients of the current study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IFNL4rs368234815 SNP can be considered for decision-making in the treatment of HCV-infected patients.
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keshvari
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran; Middle East Liver Diseases Center, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Moayed
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Alavian
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran; Middle East Liver Diseases Center, Tehran, 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, Iran; Armin Pathobiology Laboratory, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pouryasin
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran; Middle East Liver Diseases Center, Tehran, Iran; Baqiyatallah Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Heidar
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sharafi
keywords: Genetic polymorphism; hepatitis C; human interferon lambda 4 protein