Hemoglobin levels at baseline (Hb0) and the decline after 4 weeks of treatment (Hb¦¤4) were analyzed in 308 chronic hepatitis C patients participating in 5 Austrian trials (n = 308, age 43.9 ¡À 11.1, male:185, female:123, BMI 25.3 ¡À 3.9, no cirrhosis: n = 259, liver cirrhosis: n = 49). All patients were treated with 180 ¦Ìg peginterferon-alpha 2a and ribavirin [1000-1200 mg/d; females: mean (95 % CI) 15.8 mg/kg (15.4-16.2); males 14.3 (14.1-14.5); p <0.001]. The SNPs rs6051702, rs1127354, rs7270101 and IL28B rs12979860 were analyzed by the StepOnePlus Real time PCR System.
188 were major alleles homozygotes; 95 (30.8 % ) carried the minor allele (C) of rs6051702, 47 (15.3 % ) of rs1127354 (A), and 69 (22.4 % ) of rs7270101 (C). The overall Hb0 was 14.8 g/dl (14.6-14.9) [mean (95 % CI); females 13.7 (13.5-13.9); males 15.5; 15.3-15.6; p <0.001]. The overall Hb¦¤4 was greater in major allele homozygotes [2.8 g/dl (2.6-3.0)] than in minor allele carriers [1.6 (1.4-1.9); p <0.001]. Irrespective of the ITPA genotypes Hb¦¤4 was smaller in female [2.0 (1.7-2.2)] than in male patients [2.6 (2.4-2.8); p <0.001] and among females in premenopausal [1.5 (1.3-1.8)] than in postmenopausal patients [2.7 (2.3-3.1); p <0.001].
Irrespective of the protective effect of ITPA mutations, premenopausal females less likely develop ribavirin induced anemia.