Impact of HLA-class I alleles on response to HCV treatment in a cohort of Egyptian patients

Extensive allele diversity is observed in HLA associations with response to HCV combined therapy (pegylated interferon + ribavitin) in different global ethnic populations. The aim of the study is to assess the frequency and association of certain HLA-class I alleles in Egyptian persons with persistent HCV and others with sustained viral response (SVR). Material and methods: The study was a retrospective cohort study that included 246 HCV patients who received combined therapy; 106 cases responded to treatment (SVR) and 140 individuals did not respond to treatment (persistent HCV infection). Both groups are subjected to genotyping for HLA-class I. Results: According to logistic regression analysis, Cw17 was considered as the most predictor allele as it was the highest significant allele (OR = 16.70; 95% CI: 2.64-105.58; P = 0.003), whereas the presence of the HLA-B45 and HLA-B27 alleles has a 19.35-fold risk and 15.7 fold risk, respectively of non-response to interferon therapy in chronic HCV patients (OR = 19.35; 95% CI: 1.05-357.24; P = 0.04) and (OR = 15.69; 95% CI: 1.179-208.9; P = 0.04) can act also as high predictor alleles, and the lowest significant predictor allele was B44 (OR = 6.535; 95% CI: 1.55-27.63; P = 0.01). The presence of the HLA-A alleles might have a limited role in prediction for the non-responders, as the A32 was significantly higher among the SVR patients, but, it cannot have a predictor role (OR: 0.161, CI: 0.03-1.056, P = 0.049). Conclusion: Cw17, HLA-B45, and HLA-B27 alleles can predict the nonresponders to HCV combined therapy.