Does a relationship of HLA B alleles with course of hepatitis C virus infection in children and youth and efficacy of its treatment exist?

Introduction: The course of HCV infection and prognosis for its treatment depend not only on virus factors (e.g. genotype) but also of host lying, as genetic conditions. A particular role is attributed to major histocompatibility complex genes.
Aim: To estimate the relationship of HLA B alleles with alanine transferase activity (ALT) as expression of the course of infection and attempt to estimate the relationship of the alleles with efficiency of antiviral treatment.
Material and methods: The study included 61 patients with persistent viral hepatitis type C, aged 5-18 years, 51 treated (42 with interferon and ribavirin) and 10 not treated. Among treated patients, 31 did not respond and in 20 a sustained virological response was obtained. In all patients HLA typing was performed (HLA PCR-SSP method, low and next high resolutions). Frequency of particular HLA B alleles was compared among groups of patients (with correct and increased ALT activity, responders and non-responders for antiviral treatment).
Results: In the analysis of the influence of HLA B alleles on ALT activity in the course of HCV infection a significant dependence was not ascertained. Analysing early and sustained response to antiviral treatment significant dependence was not ascertained either.
Conclusions: The results do not confirm associations between HLA B alleles and ALT activity in the course of HCV infection nor between these alleles and efficiency of antiviral treatment. Due to the fact that multiplicity of HLA B alleles exists, considering some indispensable insignificant differences, it is necessary to perform a study on a larger group of patients.