The Impact of interferon lambda 3 Polymorphism on Hepato-Cellular Carcinoma Progression in Hepatitis C Virus Patients: Treatment-Naïve and Experienced

• Published in: Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 215 - 221
• Main Authors: Abd Elrahman, Mohamed, Ibrahim, Marwa K, Khairy, Ahmed, Yosry, Ayman, Zayed, Naglaa, Tawefeek, Salwa, Barakat, Amal Z, Elbatae, Hassan, Bader El Din, Noha G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thailand West Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention 01.01.2023
• Subjects: Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - drug therapy; Fibrosis; Genotype; Hepacivirus - genetics; Hepatitis C - complications; Hepatitis C, Chronic - complications; Hepatitis C, Chronic - drug therapy; Hepatitis C, Chronic - genetics; Humans; Interferon Lambda; Interferons - genetics; Interferons - therapeutic use; Interleukins - genetics; Liver Neoplasms - drug therapy; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Infectious disease; Direct acting antivirals; Single nucleotide polymorphism; Interferon lambda 3; Hepatitis C Virus
• ISSN: 1513-7368; 2476-762X
• DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2023.24.1.215

In this study, we investigated the association between the IFN-λ3 rs12979860 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and the transition from late fibrosis to HCC in Egyptian HCV-chronically infected patients. The rs12979860 SNP was genotyped using real-time PCR in DNA from the whole blood of healthy subjects (n=60) and HCV patient   s (n=342). We stratified the patients into (1) treatment-naïve patients (n=218) with advanced fibrosis (F2-F4, n=123) and HCC (n=95 Treatment-experienced patients (n=124)  who received SOF-based therapy for 12 weeks and achieved SVR (SVR12). DAA-treated patients were divided into 2 groups: group I (n=63) included patients with advanced hepatic fibrosis (F2-F4) who did not develop HCC within a year after treatment, and group II (n=61) included patients who were free of focal hepatic lesions before starting DAA therapy but developed HCC within a year. Our results demonstrated that treatment-naïve patients with the CT/TT genotypes and the T allele were more likely to have HCC (odds ratio 3.1, 95% CI 1.44-6.71, P = 0.003 and odds ratio 1.89, 95% CI 1.28-2.76, P = 0.001, respectively). Binary regression analysis defined 3 independent predictors associated with HCC development: age (odds ratio 1.039, 95% CI 1.004-1.076, P = 0.028), alanine aminotransferase (odds ratio 1.008, 95% CI 1.002-1.015, P = 0.010), and rs12979860 (odds ratio 3.65, 95% CI 1.484-8.969, P = 0.005). However, the rs12979860 SNP did not show any correlation with the progression of HCC post-treatment. Despite the debate on the contribution of IFN-λ3 rs12979860 to susceptibility to HCV-related HCC, our data confirm the role of this SNP in this context.