Relationship between Polymorphisms of the Inosine Triphosphatase Gene and Anaemia or Outcome after Treatment with Pegylated Interferon and Ribavirin

Abstract

The variants of the ITPA gene, which could protect against haemolytic anaemia and RBV dose reduction, were associated with a high rate of SVR by standard PEG-IFN and RBV therapy in a subset of Japanese patients with the favourable TT genotype at rs8099917 of IL28B. A combination of ITPA genetic polymorphisms with baseline Hb and CLcr levels further improves the predictive accuracy of severe anaemia.