URL path: Index page // IL-28B, Genetic Testing

IL-28B, Genetic Testing

Includes 2 tests
Blood
2 Days
75€

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the major etiology of chronic liver disease, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. According to an estimate from the World Health Organization, there are more than 180 million chronic HCV-infected persons worldwide; hence, effective treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is important. Nevertheless, the current standard of care for CHC using pegylated (Peg) IFN plus ribavirin is expensive, is effective in only a certain proportion of patients who have CHC, and has many unpleasant adverse effects. Therefore, identifying predictive factors of therapeutical response in patients with CHC is important.

Several factors have been linked to the therapeutical response of patients who have CHC, including viral factors, host factors, metabolic factors, histological factors, types of regimens, and duration of infection. Among these factors, viral kinetics following antiviral therapy has become widely accepted in both clinical trials and daily practice and is increasingly recognized as the most outweighing predictor of sustained virological response (SVR) to IFN-based therapy.

Pharmacotherapeutic success is evaluated based on viral RNA negativity 24 weeks after completion of the treatment, which is defined as a sustained virological response (SVR). Only 40-50% of patients infected with HCV genotype 1 (HCV-1) had SVR after 48 weeks of treatment, whereas 75% of patients infected with HCV genotypes 2 or 3 (HCV-2/ 3) typically achieved SVR after 24 weeks of therapy. In HCV-1 cases, additional treatment with protease inhibitors (PI) has improved the SVR rate to about 80%.

Recently, it has been documented that there was a strong association of two SNPs of the IL28B gene encoding IFN-λ-3, with treatment outcomes of Peg-IFNα-2a plus ribavirin therapy. These variations in the IL28B gene correlated well with natural clearance of HCV and with SVR, and they may explain the difference in treatment response rates among African-Americans, Europeans, and Asians.

Additional information
Tests includedIncludes 2 tests
Sample Blood
Procedure completion test
Step 1

Purchase the test you want online

Select the tests you wish, through the most complete range of Preventive and Functional Medicine tests and purchase them online.

Step 2

Sampling

We send you the certified package - sampling collection kit, to collect your sample, always in accordance with the instructions contained within the kit.

Step 3

Sending your sample

After you have collected your sample, place it in the prepaid shipping package, contact the courier company and send it to our certified laboratory.

Step 4

Receiving the test results

Download your test results easily and securely anytime you want by logging in to your personal account.

Step 1

Book an appointment and buy the test online

Select from the most complete range test of Prevention, Andrology and Diagnostics, book an appointment in real time and purchase them online.

Step 2

Sampling

Visit the certified laboratory of Diagnostiki Athinon on the date and time you have chosen, to perform the sampling.

Step 3

Receiving the test results

Download your test results easily and securely anytime you want by logging in to your personal account.

Share it