Association between LDL-R (exon 8 C.1171 G > A) polymorphisms and response to antiviral therapy in hepatitis C virus infection

The entry of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) into liver cells is closely associated with its interaction with the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R), which plays a crucial role in facilitating viral uptake. This study aimed to investigate the association between the LDL-R (exon 8 C.1171 G/A) gene polymorphism and response to antiviral therapy in patients infected with HCV. Participants were divided into three groups. Group I included 30 patients positive for both anti-HCV antibodies and HCV-RNA who did not respond to antiviral therapy. Group II consisted of 60 patients positive for anti-HCV but negative for HCV-RNA, indicating successful treatment response. and Group III comprised 50 healthy individuals negative for both anti-HCV antibodies and HCV-RNA, serving as controls. Diagnostic assessments included reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and standard biochemical tests. Genotyping for LDL-R (exon 8 C.1171 G/A) polymorphisms was conducted using allele-specific PCR on patients from both the responder and non-responder groups. Of the 376 infected patients receiving antiviral therapy, 345 (91.8%) exhibited a positive response to treatment, whereas 31 (8.2%) did not. A total of 90 patients (60 responders and 30 non-responders) were included for genotypic analysis. Among responders, the A/A genotype of LDL-R (exon 8 C.1171 G > A) was the most prevalent (61.7%), whereas the G/G genotype was predominant among non-responders (76.7%). Genotyping analysis demonstrated that hepatitis C virus genotype 4 was the most common, being detected in all 20 responders and in 10 of 20 non-responders. These findings indicate a significant association between LDL-R (exon 8 C.1171 G/A) genetic variants and the response to antiviral therapy in Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C.