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Recent studies have demonstrated that polymorphisms in the host IL28B gene influence the development of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (JW Gastroenterol May 28 2010) and treatment-induced sustained virologic response (SVR; JW Gastroenterol Nov 5 2010).
To evaluate whether host genetic polymorphisms also affect the development of treatment-induced anemia, researchers conducted a genome-wide association study involving a subcohort of participants enrolled in the ViraHep-C study, a prospective study of treatment-naive patients with HCV genotype 1 infection (Gastroenterology 2006; 131:470). They tested whether the presence of ITPA variant rs1127354 or rs7270101 was associated with reductions in hemoglobin level at week 4 of HCV therap…