A genetic variant in the interleukin 28B gene as a major predictor for sustained virologic response in chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Background And Aims: The IL28B single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs12979860 is a major predictor of treatment outcomes in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, but its distribution widely varies among populations and ethnicities. We undertook this study to investigate the distribution of IL28B SNP rs12979860 in Mexican patients with HCV infection and to assess its usefulness in predicting response to pegylated interferon-alpha and ribavirin (PegIFN-α/RVB) therapy.

Methods: Three hundred and fifty patients with chronic HCV infection were studied.

Health-related quality of life and depression in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Background: Hepatitis C is a major cause of liver disease worldwide. It has been associated with decreased health-related quality of life (HRQL) and psychiatric symptoms. Our aim was to assess HRQL, depression, and illness understanding in patients with chronic hepatitis C without previous interferon therapy.