@article{Kokanov_Krajnović_Jovanović-Ćupić_Kožik_Petrović_Božović_Mandušić_2022, title={RASSF1A and p16 promoter methylation and treatment response in chronic hepatitis C genotype 1b patients treated with pegylated interferon/ribavirin}, volume={74}, url={https://www.serbiosoc.org.rs/arch/index.php/abs/article/view/7311}, DOI={10.2298/ABS211208004K}, abstractNote={<p><strong>Paper description:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1b would benefit from early detection of molecular markers predicting the response to therapy with pegylated interferon/ribavirin.</li> <li>We investigated whether the methylation status of <em>RASSF1A</em> and <em>p16</em> genes combined with host factors affects the response to therapy and disease progression.</li> <li>Simultaneous presence of <em>RASSF1A</em> methylation and the <em>IL28B</em> CC genotype was significantly related to a sustained virologic response and methylation of the <em>RASSF1A</em></li> <li>The methylation status of <em>RASSF1A</em> and <em>IL28B</em> rs12979860 polymorphism could potentially help predict the response to therapy.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Prevention of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and its complications is based on antiviral therapy and early detection of reliable molecular markers in persons under risk. We investigated whether the methylation status of <em>RASSF1A</em> and <em>p16</em> genes, alone or in combination with host and viral factors, affects the response to therapy with pegylated interferon/ribavirin (PEG-IFN/RBV). Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) was used to determine the methylation status of the target promoter sequences of <em>RASSF1A</em> and <em>p16</em> in circulating-free DNA from the peripheral blood of 49 patients with CHC genotype 1b. The methylation status of the examined genes did not affect the response to therapy. However, the simultaneous presence of either <em>RASSF1A</em> or <em>p16</em> methylation and the CC genotype of <em>IL28B</em> was significantly related to a sustained virologic response (P=0.009 and P=0.032, respectively). After Bonferroni correction, only the result concerning the <em>RASSF1A</em> gene remained significant (P<0.0125). Methylation of <em>RASSF1A</em> was associated with the CC genotype of the <em>IL28B</em> gene (P=0.024) and a higher viral load (≥400 000 IU/mL, P=0.009). Our results suggest that combined analysis of <em>RASSF1A</em> gene methylation and <em>IL28B</em> rs12979860 polymorphism could potentially help in the prediction of therapy response in CHC genotype 1b patients.</p>}, number={1}, journal={Archives of Biological Sciences}, author={Kokanov, Nikola S. and Krajnović, Milena M. and Jovanović-Ćupić, Snežana P. and Kožik, Bojana R. and Petrović, Nina M. and Božović, Ana M. and Mandušić, Vesna Lj.}, year={2022}, month={Apr.}, pages={57–66} }