Single Nucleotide rs760370 Polymorphism at the Main Ribavirin Transporter Gene Detection by PCR-RFLP Assay Compared with the TaqMan Assay and Its Relation to Sustained Virological Response in Chronic HCV Patients Treated with Pegylated Interferon-Ribavirin Therapy.

Ribavirin clearly plays a role in chronic hepatitis C treatment response. The equilibrative nucleoside transporter-1 codified by SLC29A1 gene has been associated with ribavirin uptake into hepatocytes and erythrocytes. rs760370A>G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at the SLC29A1 gene may have a role in ribavirin-based regimen treatment response. Accuracy of the polymerase-chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay compared with the TaqMan assay for the detection of the SNP rs760370 at the main ribavirin transporter gene and its relation to sustained virological response in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients treated with pegylated interferon-ribavirin therapy. The study included 100 chronic HCV patients who were treated with pegylated interferon-ribavirin therapy. The patients were categorized according to the treatment response into responders (50 patients) and null responders (50 patients). rs760370 SNP was measured using TaqMan 5-nuclease assay and by the newly developed PCR-based RFLP assay. The overall accuracy of the newly developed PCR-RFLP assay compared with the TaqMan assay for rs760370 polymorphism detection was 100%. Allelic frequencies at rs760370 were as follows: A/A genotype (28%), A/G genotype (58%), and G/G genotype (14%). Treatment response was not significantly related with rs760370 polymorphism (P = 0.5). Ribavirin-induced anemia was good predictor of sustained virological response (P = 0.001), but was not related to rs760370 polymorphism (P = 0.92). PCR-RFLP assay is an accurate, cost-effective method in the detection of rs760370 compared with TaqMan assay. rs760370 SNP cannot serve as predictor of response in chronic HCV patients treated with interferon ribavirin therapy.