ÖZObjective: In this study, the effects of genotypic differences on the clinical course of the disease, response to treatment and fibrosis were investigated in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Materials and Methods: Ninety-nine chronic HCV-infected patients and 95 controls were enrolled. The patients received pegylated interferon (PegIFN) + ribavirin (RBV) for 48 weeks and followed up for the next 48 weeks. Aspartate aminotransferase/platelet ratio index was used to determine the stage of liver fibrosis. DNA specimens were extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and the interleukin (IL) 28B gene rs12979860, rs12980275, and rs8099917 were genotyped by the immune polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method.

ÖZObjective: We aimed to review the influence of host genetic factors on the clinical course, treatment response as well as fibrosis progression in patients with viral hepatitis C genotype 1. Materials and Methods: Ninety-five patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and 97 controls were enrolled. The patients received pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN)+ribavirin therapy for 48 weeks and were followed up for the next 48 weeks. Aspartat aminotransferase/platelet ratio (APRI) was used to detect liver fibrosis DNA specimens were extracted from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells and the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) 308 rs3091256 was genotyped by the polymerase chain reactionrestriction fragment length polymorphism method. Results: All patients included in the study were infected with HCV genotype 1. of the 95 HCV-positive patients, spontaneous viral clearence was observed in 25.5%, rapid viral response in 44.2%, early viral response in 91.8%, and sustained viral response was found in 73.3% of patients. The allele and genotype were not significant between patients and controls. There was no significant difference in virologic response as well. However, TNF-α-308 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) rs3091256 GG genotype was strongly associated with fibrosis and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (p=0.006 and p=0.017, respectively). Conclusion: TNF-α-308 polymorphisms may reveal different results among countries. Patients having SNP rs3091256 GG are prone to have higher ALT levels and fibrosis score but have better treatment outcome.