Impact of IL28B polymorphism on treatment induced viral clearance in HCV infected Egyptian patients

Interleukin [IL] 28B single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNP] was recently recognized as predictor of SVR in HCV infected patients treated by combination therapy of pegylatedinterferon [Peg-IFN] and ribavirin [RBV]. The aim of the current study was to assess IL 28B polymorphism SNP [rs12979860] as a predictor of response to combined Peg-INF/RBV therapy in Egyptian chronic HCV infected patients. The study was conducted on 247 HCV infected patients and 100 apparently healthy control subjects. All patients were treated with PEG-IFN-alpha/ribavirin; and they were classified according to their response to treatment. Genotyping of IL28B rs12979860 was performed on peripheral blood DNA using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism [PCR-RFLP] assay. The overall frequency of IL28B genotypes was 24.7%, 50.2% and 25.1% for genotypes CC, CT and TT respectively, while the response rate was 82%, 38.7% and 43.8% for genotypes CC, CT and TT respectively, moreover, genotype CC had increased probability to HCV clearance than both genotypes CT and TT with OR 7.71 [95%CI: 3.71-15.79]. Genotyping of IL28B at SNP rs12979860 could be used as a guide to tailor treatment in Egyptian patients infected with HCV for better outcome