Systematic Reviews
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2015. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Sep 16, 2015; 3(9): 807-822
Published online Sep 16, 2015. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v3.i9.807
Role of genetic polymorphisms in hepatitis C virus chronic infection
Nicola Coppola, Mariantonietta Pisaturo, Caterina Sagnelli, Lorenzo Onorato, Evangelista Sagnelli
Nicola Coppola, Mariantonietta Pisaturo, Lorenzo Onorato, Evangelista Sagnelli, Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Second University of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy
Caterina Sagnelli, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Surgery “F. Magrassi e A. Lanzara”, Second University of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy
Author contributions: All the authors equally contributed to this work.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors of the manuscript declare that they have no conflict of interest in connection with this paper.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Dr. Nicola Coppola, Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Second University of Naples, Via: L. Armanni 5, 80131 Naples, Italy. nicola.coppola@unina2.it
Telephone: +39-81-5666719 Fax: +39-81-5666013
Received: July 27, 2014
Peer-review started: July 27, 2014
First decision: November 27, 2014
Revised: December 9, 2014
Accepted: June 4, 2015
Article in press: June 8, 2015
Published online: September 16, 2015
Abstract

AIM: To analyze the host genetics factors influencing the clinical course and the response to antiviral treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC).

METHODS: We conducted an electronic search on the PubMed and MEDLINE (2000-2014) databases and Cochrane library (2000-2014). A total of 73 articles were retrieved and their data were extensively evaluated and discussed by the authors and then analyzed in this review article.

RESULTS: Several studies associated polymorphisms in the interleukin 28B gene on chromosome 19 (19q13.13) with a spontaneous viral clearance in acute hepatitis C and with the response to pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN)-based treatment in chronic hepatitis C patients. Other investigations demonstrated that inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase genetic variants protect hepatitis C virus-genotype-1 CHC patients from ribavirin-induced anemia, and other studies that a polymorphism in the patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 was associated with hepatic steatosis in CHC patients. Although not conclusive, some investigations suggested that the vitamin D-associated polymorphisms play an important role in the achievement of sustained virologic response in CHC patients treated with Peg-IFN-based antiviral therapy. Several other polymorphisms have been investigated to ascertain their possible impact on the natural history and on the response to treatment in patients with CHC, but the data are preliminary and warrant confirmation.

CONCLUSION: Several genetic polymorphisms seem to influence the clinical course and the response to antiviral treatment in patients with CHC, suggesting individualized follow up and treatment strategies.

Keywords: Single nucleotide polymorphism, Hepatitis C virus infection, Interleukin 28B, Inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase, Patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3

Core tip: Some single nucleotide polymorphisms have been associated with the clinical presentation and/or response to antiviral treatment in subjects with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). In this review article the effect of old and new host genetics factors [interleukin 28B, inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase, patatin-like phospholipase domain, cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2-63), vitamin D associated polymorphisms, etc.] on the outcome of CHC and the response to antiviral treatment will be presented, analyzed and discussed, to provide some guidance for individualized therapies in clinical practice.