Source Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Division of Frontier Medical Science, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan. 734-8551, Japan Laboratory for Digestive Diseases, Center for Genomic Medicine, RIKEN (The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research), 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan Department of Surgery, Division of Frontier Medical Science, Programs for Biomedical Research, Graduate School of Biomedical Science, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan. 734-8551, Japan.

Background and Aim:   IL28B SNP influences viral response (VR) to interferon (IFN) therapy in patients with hepatitis C. We studied the relationship between VR and IL28B polymorphism (rs8099917) in patients on long-term pegylated IFN plus ribavirin (PEGIFN/RBV) therapy for recurrent hepatitis C after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).

Methods:   Thirty-five patients with recurrent hepatitis C after LDLT were treated with PEGIFN/RBV. We evaluated the effect of IL28B SNP on the outcome in 20 patients infected with HCV genotype 1 who completed IFN therapy.

Results:  The sustained VR (SVR) rate was 54% (19/35) for all patients, 46% (13/28) for genotype 1. While the SVR rate of donors' TT group (major genotype) was higher than that of donors' TG+GG group (minor genotype) (73% vs 20%), that of recipients' TT group was similar to that of recipients' TG+GG group (64% vs 50%). With regard to the combined effect of donors' and recipients'IL28B SNP, the SVR rates of TT:TT (donors':recipients'), TT:TG+GG, TG+GG:Any group were 81%, 50%, 20%, respectively. The VR rate of TT:TT, TT:TG+GG, and TG+GG:Any group at 12 weeks were 28%, 0%, 0%, those at 48 weeks were 70%, 50%, 20% and those at end of treatment were 100%, 50%, 20%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified IL28B of donors:recipients (TT:TT) as the only independent determinant of SVR [odds ratio 15.0, P=0.035].

Conclusion:  Measurement of donors' and recipients'IL28B SNP can predict the response to PEGIFN/RBV therapy and the donors'IL28B SNP might be a more significant predictor than recipients'.