By taking into account the attainment of RVR or failure to achieve RVR, we have eliminated the impact of IL-28B genetic polymorphisms on the final treatment outcome of HCV-2 patients. Selleck AG 14699 RVR achievement is by far the most important predictive factor for SVR attainment. Patients with RVR have an approximately 90% chance of treatment success after standard of care with peginterferon/ribavirin combination therapy, regardless of the viral genotypes.2, 4, 26, 27 The achievement of this early goal provides

greater flexibility for tailoring the treatment duration on an individual basis and also enhances the cost-effectiveness of treatment.28 An awareness of what baseline factors can predict RVR before treatment is therefore

pivotal. Several factors, including age, pretreatment HCV RNA levels, higher pretreatment AST levels, liver fibrosis status, insulin resistance, and higher on-treatment ribavirin doses, have been reported to be associated with RVR in HCV-1 patients.29, 30 Insulin resistance and baseline HCV viral loads have also been noted to predict RVR in patients with HCV-4 infection.31 Mangia et al.32 showed that a high dose of ribavirin and low pretreatment HCV viral loads with an HCV-2 infection were independent factors predicting RVR in patients with HCV-2/HCV-3 infection.32 LY2157299 price However, little is known about the general relevance of host genetics to the early phases of viral kinetics in the treatment of HCV infection. Thompson et al.15 recently noted that rs12979860, located close to IL-28B, has a tremendous influence on the attainment of RVR in HCV-1 patients in Western populations. In the current study, we replicated previous findings showing that a low Ergoloid degree of fibrosis and low pretreatment HCV RNA levels were associated with RVR. It is noteworthy that Chinese patients with the TT genotype of rs8099917 were prone to attaining RVR; this was independent of the baseline viral loads, pretreatment AST levels, and

degree of fibrosis. Patients with the TT genotype of rs8099917 were associated with improved early viral suppression. The determination of whether our findings can be applied to other ethnicities and other HCV genotypes needs further investigation. Recent studies focused on SNPs surrounding the IL-28B gene have demonstrated their determinant role in SVR.12-16, 33 In addition, SNPs have also been shown to be associated with the spontaneous clearance of HCV infection.14, 34 Subjects enrolled in genetic association studies were mostly infected with HCV-1, however. Two studies that were conducted in Western populations showed its relevance to Caucasians with HCV-2/HCV-3 infection, but the sample size was relatively small, and the results were inconsistent.14, 16 McCarthy et al.