Vitamin D Receptor FokI Gene Polymorphism Predicted Poor Response to Treatment in Chronic HCV Genotype 4

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Hany Shehab¹, Dina Sabry¹*, Mai Mukhtar ², Wafaa Elakel¹, Mahasen Mabrouk¹, Amr Zahra³, Gamal Esmat¹, Amany Y El Kazaz^, Amr Zahra³

¹Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt; ²El Talaba hospital, Alexandria, Egypt; ³Fayoum University. Al Fayoum, Egypt; ^Suez Canal University. Ismailia, Egypt.

*Corresponding author: Dina Sabry Abd El Fatah, Professor of Medical Biochemistry and molecular Biology of the Cairo University, Egypt. E-mail: dinasabry@kasralainy.edu.eg

Published: December 16, 2016.  DOI: 10.21103/Article6(4)_OA3

Abstract: 

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between a genetic polymorphism of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and antiviral responses in Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 4 (HCV-4).
Methods: Our study enrolled 100 HCV-4 patients who received pegylated interferon alpha-2a (pegIFNα-2a) and ribavirin for 48 weeks. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to their response to therapy: 50 were responders, and 50 were non-responders. All HCV-4 patients were further subjected to the following laboratory tests: HCV-RNA using quantitative PCR, vitamin D level using ELISA and VDR genotype using PCR-RFLP assays, and abdominal ultrasonography.
Results:  There was a statistically significant difference in the frequency of the VDR polymorphism (FokI rs10735810) between responders (FF: 60%, Ff: 16%, ff: 24%) and non-responders (FF: 10%, Ff: 26%, ff: 64%) (P<0.001). There was a statistically significant association between VDR polymorphism with higher ALT levels (ff: 63.2±30.8, Ff: 48.5±19.5, FF: 54.4±10.8 U/L, p=0.04) and higher alkaline phosphatase levels (ff: 102.6±53.2, Ff: 100.3±66.4, FF: 68.3±29.4 U/L, P=0.007). VDR polymorphism showed no association with baseline vitamin D levels (P=0.21).
 Conclusion: VDR polymorphism plays a role in the treatment response of HCV and the modification of disease progression in Egyptians infected with chronic HCV-4.

Keywords: 
HCV genotype 4; response to treatment; vitamin D, FokI polymorphism (rs10735810)
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