Revised: December 16, 2013
Accepted: January 15, 2014
Published online: February 27, 2014
Processing time: 155 Days and 13.2 Hours
AIM: To determine the frequencies of mutations that cause inherited monogenic liver disorders in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
METHODS: This study included 86 patients with chronic hepatitis C (55 men, 31 women; mean age at diagnosis, 38.36 ± 14.52 years) who had undergone antiviral therapy comprising pegylated interferon and ribavirin. Viral load, biochemical parameter changes, and liver biopsy morphological data were evaluated in all patients. The control group comprised 271 unrelated individuals representing the general population of Latvia for mutation frequency calculations. The most frequent mutations that cause inherited liver disorders [gene (mutation): ATP7B (H1069Q), HFE (C282Y, H63D), UGT1A1 (TA)7, and SERPINA1 (PiZ)] were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), bidirectional PCR allele-specific amplification, restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, and sequencing.
RESULTS: The viral genotype was detected in 80 of the 86 patients. Viral genotypes 1, 2, and 3 were present in 61 (76%), 7 (9%), and 12 (15%) patients, respectively. Among all 86 patients, 50 (58%) reached an early viral response and 70 (81%) reached a sustained viral response. All 16 patients who did not reach a sustained viral response had viral genotype 1. Case-control analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in only the H1069Q mutation between patients and controls (patients, 0.057; controls, 0.012; odds ratio, 5.514; 95%CI: 1.119-29.827, P = 0.022). However, the H1069Q mutation was not associated with antiviral treatment outcomes or biochemical indices. The (TA) 7 mutation of the UGT1A1 gene was associated with decreased ferritin levels (beta regression coefficient = -295.7, P = 0.0087).
CONCLUSION: Genetic mutations that cause inherited liver diseases in patients with hepatitis C should be studied in detail.
Core tip: This is the first study to evaluate the association between hepatitis C and the most frequently inherited monogenic liver diseases (hereditary hemochromatosis, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, Gilbert’s syndrome, and Wilson’s disease) and their causative mutations. This case-control study revealed an association between hepatitis C and the mutation that causes Wilson’s disease. In addition, biochemical data analysis revealed an association between hepatitis C and the mutation that causes Gilbert’s syndrome.