“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.
