Team

The role of rs1127354/rs7270101 alleles at the inosine tri-phosphatase (ITPA) gene on ribavirin-induced anemia was assessed in 74 patients with hepatitis C virus and human im-munodeficiency virus coinfection. Anemia developed in 80 % of patients with normal ITPA activity compared with 33 % of those with reduced ITPA activity. In contrast, ITPA variants did not influence sustained virological response. The addition of ribavirin to peginterferon-a (pegIFNa) signifi-cantly increases the rate of sustained virological response [1, 2], especially in populations of patients that are difficult to treat, such as patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) [3, 4]. However, ribavirin-induced hemolytic anemia often forces dose adjustments, drug dis-continuations, and/or use of erythropoietin, all of which compli-cate management and ultimately lead to reduced responses [5, 6]