Pharmacogenomics Study on IL28B Genetic Variants in Chinese Children With Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Hepatitis C affects thousands of children throughout the world. Most children acquire the virus through vertical transmission, although parenteral routes of acquisition are also common. Affected children are usually asymptomatic and histological findings are mild with a low risk of progression, about 5% develop significant liver disease in childhood.

The use of combination treatment with interferon-alpha and ribavirin were recommended in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in children, SVR in children with genotype 1 ranged from 44% to 59%. SVR in children with genotype 2 and 3 was more than 90%. But both interferon and ribavirin have significant side effects which affect compliance, such as: repeated flu like symptoms, leukopenia and anemia, moderate weight loss, behavioural problems, thyroid dysfunction and transient deceleration of the growth rate. In addition, approximately 50% of children infected with genotype 1 do not respond to therapy.

Recent work has highlighted that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) around the IL28B gene have been identified as strong predictors of spontaneous and treatment-induced HCV clearance in adults, especially Rs 12979860 and Rs 8099917. A recent article in Hepatology also reported that interleukin (IL)-28B C/C genotype in the child was associated with spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection. All this reports show that Genetic Variation in Interleukin-28B Locus is associated with the procession of CHC.

The aim of this study was to study the association between genetic variation in IL-28B and the development of CHC in Chinese children, such as: HCV viral load, serum alanine aminotransferase, histological change and the response to the treatment with interferon-alpha and ribavirin.