Effect of interleukin-10 gene promoter polymorphisms -1082 G/A and -592 C/A on response to therapy in children and adolescents with chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Abstract [Background and Aim] Studying predictors of response to therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in children may help avoid the inappropriate use of currently available costly therapy associated with numerous adverse effects. We tested the hypothesis that inheritance of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the interleukin-10 (IL-10) promoter gene might influence response to HCV treatment. [Patients and Methods] The impact of SNPs, -1082 G/A and -592 C/A, in the promoter region of IL-10 gene, on response to HCV therapy was assessed in a cohort of 40 children treated with a combination of pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) α2b and ribavirin. [Results] Sustained virological response was achieved in 48.7%. High viral load was associated with non-response to therapy. There was no association between histopathological degree of inflammation or fibrosis and response to therapy. There was no direct statistically significant association between polymorphisms in the IL-10 gene (-1082 G/A and -592 C/A) as regards inflammation or response to therapy in children. As for the SNP -592 C/A; there was a statistically significant association with the score of fibrosis (P < 0.004), concluding that the A allele was protective from moderate and severe fibrosis. Meanwhile the SNP -1082 G/A did not show any association with the fibrosis score. [Conclusion] We could not associate response to therapy for HCV with IL-10 polymorphisms -1082 G/A and -592 C/A. For the SNP -592 C/A, the A allele protected from moderate and severe fibrosis.