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Current HIV Research

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1570-162X
ISSN (Online): 1873-4251

IL28B Polymorphism, Blood Interferon-Alpha Concentration, and Disease Stage of HCV Mono-Infected and HCV-HIV Co-Infected Patients

Author(s): Michela E. Burlone, Andrea Cerutti, Rosalba Minisini, Carlo Smirne, Elisa Boccato, Elisa Ceriani, Giovanni Rizzo, Olivia Bargiacchi, Simone Bocchetta, Giuseppa Occhino and Mario Pirisi

Volume 11, Issue 1, 2013

Page: [50 - 55] Pages: 6

DOI: 10.2174/1570162X11311010007

Price: $65

Abstract

Interferon (IFN) preactivation, interleukin-28B (IL28B) alleles, and liver fibrosis act as predictors of response to antiviral therapy against hepatitis C. We aimed to verify if blood IFN concentration, a putative biomarker of interferon preactivation, might depend on carriage of a given IL28B genotype and/or advanced hepatic fibrosis. The study population included 187 hepatitis C patients (75 of whom were HIV coinfected), who were genotyped for the rs12979860 polymorphism and staged non-invasively by transient elastography. Blood IFN, measured by an enzyme immunoassay, was detectable in 68/187 patients (36%). Seventy-three patients (39%) were C/C homozygotes, 25 (13%) were T/T homozygotes, and 89 (48%) were heterozygotes. The fibrosis stage was F0-F1 in 70 patients (37%), F2-F3 in 54 patients (29%), and F4 in 63 patients (34%). IFN levels were higher among patients with HIV coinfection (p=0.044) and patients with better renal function (p=0.041), without association with the IL28B genotype or the hepatitis C stage. From the multivariate analysis, the only independent predictor of higher level of IFN was the age of patients (p=0.019), whereas independent predictors of a fibrosis stage ≥F2 were age (p=0.007), belonging to the HIV/HCV group (p=0.048) and current alcohol consumption (p=0.008). In conclusion, a sizable proportion of HCV carriers have detectable IFN levels that do not indicate a greater severity of disease or display any relationships to specific rs12979860 variants.

Keywords: Fibroscan, HIV/HCV, IL28B genotype, IFN-alfa, liver fibrosis, Polymorphism, Disease, patients, homozygotes, univariate


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