Assessment of IL-28: rs12979860 and rs8099917 Polymorphisms in a Cohort of Cuban Chronic HCV Genotype 1b Patients.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a significant global public health problem with >185 million infections worldwide. A series of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) has identified IL-28B polymorphisms as a predictor of sustained virologic response (SVR), as well as spontaneous clearance in chronic HCV genotype 1 patients. The objective of this work was to evaluate the prevalence of IL-28B rs12979860 and rs8099917 polymorphisms in Cuban chronic HCV patients.

Ratio of HCV structural antigens in protein-based vaccine formulations is critical for functional immune response induction.

HCV (hepatitis C virus) infection is among the leading causes of chronic liver disease, but currently there is no vaccine available. Data have accumulated about the importance of targeting different HCV antigens in vaccine candidate preparations. Here, a surface response study to select the optimal ratio of recombinant HCV structural antigens in a vaccine preparation, capable of generating in vivo functional cellular immune response in mice, was performed.