A common variant of BSEP (p.V444A) is now a well-established susceptibility factor for acquired cholestasis and recent evidence suggests that the same variant also influences the therapeutic response and disease progression of viral hepatitis C. Studies in large independent cohorts are now needed to confirm the relevance of p.V444A.
Our data support a role for the ABCB11 1331T>C polymorphism as a susceptibility factor for the development of estrogen-induced cholestasis, whereas no such association was found for ABCC2.
Furthermore, a polymorphism in exon 13 of ABCB11 (V444A), which is associated with decreased hepatic BSEP expression was significantly more frequent in drug-induced cholestasis patients than in drug-induced hepatocellular injury patients and healthy controls (76 versus 50 and 59% in drug-induced cholestasis patients, drug-induced hepatocellular injury patients and healthy controls, respectively; P<0.05).