Microsomal triglyceride transfer protein, or MTP, could be used as a
predictor for measuring sustained virologic response from antiviral
therapy in Egyptian patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 4
infection, according to study data.
“Till now, (there has been) no sufficient data
about correlation of MTP variants with response to therapy in HCV,” the
researchers wrote. “To justify this issue, the current study aimed to
determine the pattern of MTP gene polymorphisms in naive HCV genotype 4
patients to then identify the impact of MTP polymorphism on the response
to combined pegylated interferon-ribavirin therapy in chronic HCV
genotype 4.”
One hundred treatment-naive patients with HCV
genotype 4 were recruited to receive antiviral therapy with 180 mcg of
PEG-IFN alfa-2a per week and weight-based ribavirin for 48 weeks. Forty
controls also were included in the study, and all 140 patients underwent
DNA and laboratory testing to determine any impact of MTP polymorphism.
Labels: GT4, Microsomal triglyceride transfer protein, or MTP, predictors of response