Genomic determinants of hepatitis C virus antiviral therapy outcomes: toward individualized treatment

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important global health problem with an estimated prevalence of more than 170 million infected individuals worldwide. Currently, the standard antiviral therapy, based on pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin, can achieve a virological response in only nearly 50% of the patients infected with HCV genotype 1, the most widely distributed globally. During the last years, relevant data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) about the impact and contribution of the patient genomics on viral infection outcomes has suggested the possibility that an individualized antiviral therapy can be considered. In this review, we analyze the existing information on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of several host genes and viral factors that influence, as a whole, the outcome of the standard antiviral therapy, and that might be used to predict an individualized antiviral response. We also discuss the clinical data within the most recent context of the triple antiviral therapy.