Background and study aim: Single nucleotide polymorphisms near Interleukin 28B are strongly associated with favourable treatment response of chronic hepatitis C such as, the homozygous CC at markers129798Session [CurrentTestPartID]. Interferon-Gamma Inducible Protein-10 (IP-10) can be produced by a variety of cells, including hepatocytes. Pre-treatment plasma levels of IP10 are elevated in patients chronically infected with hepatitis C virus of genotypes 1 or 4 who do not achieve early virological response(EVR)to treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rule of adding IP-10 to IL28B rs129798Session [CurrentTestPartID] Genotype in predicting EVR .
Patients and methods: The study enrolled 78 naïve chronic HCV patients who have criteria that met the pegylated interferon plus ribavirin (pegIFN-RBV) treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) .IP-10 assay and single nucleotide polymorphisms of the IL28B genotype were performed.
Results: Patients with EVR was younger than those without EVR with statistically significant different. Patients with EVR had less elevated liver enzyme ,low viral load and fasting blood sugar than those without EVR with statistically significant difference. 100% patients with out early virological response had A2 activity while 31.7% only of patients with EVR had A2 activity with statistically significant difference .Patients with EVR showed lower level of IP10 and 81.7% of them had CC allele genotype with statistically significant difference when compared to patients without EVR. Patients with CC genotype were associated with lower level of IP10, ALT, AST and also low viral load. Patients with low level of IP10 had lower levels of liver enzyme. Cut off level of IP 10 wasConclusion: IP10 level was lower among responder group. IL28 genotype CC was significantly higher in responders when compared with non responders. .Patients with CC genotype were associated with lower level of IP10 and liver enzymes. Patients with CC genotype were associated also with low viral load.