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Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology logoLink to Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology
. 2011 Aug 26;1(1):27–33. doi: 10.1016/S0973-6883(11)60115-1

Interleukin 28B Polymorphisms and Hepatitis C—Translating the Association into Clinical Decision Making

Col Pankaj Puri 1,*
PMCID: PMC3940297  PMID: 25755307

Abstract

Host genetic factors have long been suspected to play a role in predicting outcome and treatment response in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This was confirmed recently by three landmark genome-wide association studies (GWAS) published in 2009, which identified single nucleotide polymorphisms near the interleukin (IL) 28B region that were more common in responders to treatment. There has subsequently been rapidly increasing data regarding the significance of the IL28B polymorphism not only in response to therapy but also in spontaneous clearance of acute HCV infection. This clinical association of Il28B genotype with HCV may lead to personalized HCV therapy, where the clinician may tailor the duration and type of therapy for an individual patient. This review summarizes the available data on the impact of IL28B polymorphisms on HCV infection and discusses the possible approach to translate this association into clinical decision making for the treatment of HCV infection.

Keywords: Hepatitis C virus, IL28B, treatment

Abbreviations: ALT, alanine transaminase; EVR, early virological response; GWAS, Genome-wide Association Studies; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; HCV, hepatitis C virus; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; IFN, interferon; IL28B, interleukin 28B; NVR, null virological response; OR, odds ratio; PEG-IFN, pegylated interferon; RBV, ribavirin; RNA, ribonucleic acid; RVR, rapid virological response; SNP, single nucleotide polymorphism; SVR, sustained virological response

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