RESEARCH ARTICLE MicroRNAs as Predictor Markers for Response to Interferon Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Genotype-4 in Egyptian Patients

Background Hepatitis C virus genotype 4 (HCV-4) infection is common in the Middle East and Africa, with an extraordinarily high prevalence in Egypt. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in various diseases, including HCV infection. The aim of the present study was to as-sess serum miR-122, miR-221 and miR-21 expression profiles in HCV-4 patients prior to treatment with HCV-4 combination therapy (pegylated alpha interferon and ribavirin) and to determine whether the miRNAs were associated with the drug response. Methods RNA was extracted from pretreatment serum samples, and miR-122, miR-221 and miR-21 levels were measured by quantitative PCR. The results were compared among patients with sustained virological responses (SVR) and non-responders (NR). Results The expression levels of miR-21 and miR-122 were significantly different between the SVR and NR groups. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that the sensitivi