Influence of OASL gene polymorphisms on host response to interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C virus patients

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection becomes a major public health problem and leading cause of chronic liver disease and liver failure. Pegylated interferon-alfa and ribavirin are currently the standard treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CHC). It is indicated that genes that trace the interferon signaling could be associated with the host response to the therapy. In order to investigate the influence of these genes on host related response, we have analyzed seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs59248852, rs74390571, rs12811390, rs1169279, rs3213545, rs1083129 and rs2859398) in 2-5-Oligoadenylate- Synthetase-Like (OASL) gene in CHC cases from Republic of Macedonia. A simple and easy to use SNaPshot method was developed. A cohort of 100 HCV RNA positive patients - non responders and 109 patients with achieved virological response after the standard treatment were included in this study. We have found significant association in five of the seven studied SNP` s: rs59248852 [p = 6.5x10^-31, OR=55.7 (20.0-155.3)]; rs12811390 [p = 2.2x10^-11, OR=4.3 (2.3-6.7)]; rs2859398 [p=1.34x10^-9, OR=3.4 (2.2-5.0)]; rs74390571 [p=4.3x10^-7, OR=2.9 (1.9-4.4)], and rs1083129 [p=0.0139, OR=2.0 (1.1-3.5)]. The results from this study can be used as a predictive factor of future patient’s selection for the standard therapy, having an important cost benefit for the health insurance system.