IL-21 as a Predictor of Sustained Virologic Response in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection

• Published in: Applied biochemistry and biotechnology Vol. 185; no. 2; pp. 484 - 493
• Main Authors: Ragab, Halla Mohamed, El Maksoud, Nabila Abd, Amin, Mona A., Halim, Mohab H., Abdulla, Nour A., Kamel, Abdelkarim, Moussa, Shorouk M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.06.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biochemistry; Biotechnology; blood serum; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; chronic hepatitis C; Chronic illnesses; Chronic infection; Health care; Hepatitis; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis C virus; Infections; Interferon; interferons; Interleukin 21; Liver; Patients; prediction; Pretreatment; Public health; Renal function; Ribavirin; therapeutics; Therapy; Virology; Viruses; Virologic response; Cytokines; Hepatitis C virus; Interferon (IFN)-based therapy; IL-21
• ISSN: 0273-2289; 1559-0291; 1559-0291
• DOI: 10.1007/s12010-017-2669-z

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant public health problem. The crucial role of interleukin (IL)-21 in HCV has been established. Thus, we aimed to investigate the association of serum IL-21 levels with the virological response to interferon (IFN)-based therapy in a group of Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Clinical data were collected from 58 HCV-positive Egyptian patients treated with IFN/ribavirin therapy and 10 non-HCV-infected healthy subjects. Liver and renal function tests, complete blood count, viral markers, and pretreatment IL-21 levels were determined in all patients and healthy controls. Patients who achieved sustained virologic response (SVR) had higher pretreatment median serum IL-21 levels than those who did not. Thus, this study concluded that higher pretreatment serum IL-21 may be useful in predicting SVR in CHC patients.