RBV-induced anemia was independently correlated with SLC29A1 rs760370 AA genotype (OR, 2.90; 95% CI, 1.29-6.54, P = 0.010), and the severity of IFN-induced thrombocytopenia was related to GG genotype (OR, 4.98; 95% CI, 1.27-19.61; P = 0.021); the detected effects held true for HCV-2a patients but weakened in HCV-1b patients.
Polymorphisms at the SLC29A1 gene, encoding ENT1, may influence ribavirin-associated anaemia, which is observed at a higher incidence with telaprevir in combination with pegylated-IFNα and ribavirin than with pegylated-IFNα and ribavirin alone.
The most commonly observed side effects of telaprevir therapy are anaemia to a greater degree than that observed with PEG-IFN/ribavirin alone; eczematous rash, which can be severe in a minority of patients; and anorectal discomfort.
The inosine triphosphatase (ITPA) genotype is associated with ribavirin-induced anemia and pegylated interferon α (PEG IFN-α)-induced platelet reduction during PEG IFN-α plus ribavirin combination therapy.
These observations exclude the direct involvement of antiviral response in the development of anaemia associated with PEG-IFN and RBV treatment, whereas another, distinct component within the SVR-associated gene expression response may predict anaemia.
We evaluated the association between the casual ITPA variants and on-treatment anemia in a well-characterized cohort of genotype 2/3 patients treated with variable-duration pegylated interferon alfa-2b (PEG-IFN-α2b) and RBV.