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Decisions about treating patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are based on degree of liver fibrosis. In patients with mild fibrosis (typically stages 0–1), observation is indicated, and repeat biopsy is usually performed in 5 years. Progression to higher stages of fibrosis requiring treatment has been linked to patient factors — including age, gender, and coinfection — and environmental factors such as alcohol intake. Genetic factors might also play a role. Researchers recently proposed a cirrhosis risk score (CRS) based on a constellation of seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Using a functional genome scan approach, the researchers demonstrated that these SNPs were associated with development of cirrhosis in HCV patien…