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Genotype CC of rs12979860 is providing protection against infection rather than assisting in treatment response for HCV genotype 3a infection

Genes & Immunity volume 15, pages 430–432 (2014)Cite this article

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Abstract

Recent discovery of single-nucleotide polymorphisms located in the upstream region of interleukin-28B (IL28B) has shown association with interferon (IFN) treatment response especially in hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1-infected patients. Pakistan, being the country with second highest prevalence of HCV with predominantly 3a genotype infection, bears a significant disease burden. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of rs12979860 genotypes on treatment response in HCV-3a-infected patients. This study shows that the CC genotype is providing protection against infection to HCV. But once infected, the CC genotype patients show viral persistence following IFN therapy. The TT genotype is assisting the 3a patients in viral clearance after IFN treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing rs12979860 genotype association with IFN response in Pakistani HCV-3a-infected patients.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a grant from the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS), Islamabad, Pakistan (5-9/PAS/1336). We are thankful to Mr Amjad Farooq for his technical assistance and to Professor Dr Christoph M Sarrazin and Dr Simone Susser for providing rs12979860 (TT) controls DNA samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biomedical and Genetic Engineering, Islamabad, Pakistan

    A H Hashmi, N Ahmad, S Riaz, L Ali, S Siddiqi & A Mansoor

  2. Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan

    K M Khan

  3. School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

    A R Shakoori

Authors
  1. A H Hashmi
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  2. N Ahmad
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  3. S Riaz
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  4. L Ali
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  5. S Siddiqi
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  6. K M Khan
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  7. A R Shakoori
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  8. A Mansoor
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Correspondence to A Mansoor.

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Hashmi, A., Ahmad, N., Riaz, S. et al. Genotype CC of rs12979860 is providing protection against infection rather than assisting in treatment response for HCV genotype 3a infection. Genes Immun 15, 430–432 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/gene.2014.31

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/gene.2014.31

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