http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0008209
"HCV genotype 1 is generally considered as a homogeneous group. There are however biological differences between the different subtypes of HCV genotype 1, which are related to differences in their nucleotide and amino acid sequences. Importantly, differences between subtype 1a and 1b (by far the most frequently encountered genotype 1 subtypes in clinical practice) include different efficacies of antiviral drugs and different resistance profiles to such drugs. Indeed, several HCV inhibitors appear to have selective activity against different HCV genotype 1 subtypes, both in vitro and in vivo....
A major issue that limits the efficacy of direct acting antiviral therapies for HCV is the selection by these drugs of resistant variants upon administration [18]. Recent studies with NS3/4A protease inhibitors have shown that the genetic barrier and resistance profiles substantially differ between the different genotype 1 subtypes. For instance, the Arg to Lys substitution at position 155 of the NS3 protease (R155K) is usually selected in subtype 1a replicons treated with telaprevir, but not in subtype 1b replicons [19]. The reason is that only one nucleotide substitution is needed relative to the subtype 1a sequence to generate this variant, whereas two substitutions are needed relative to the 1b sequence (codon usage bias). Overall, natural polymorphisms at positions R155 and V36 are frequent in subtype 1a, but rare in subtype 1b where substitutions at position A156 are preferentially selected in vitro [19]. This is reflected in vivo by the different resistance profiles in patients infected by HCV subtypes 1a and 1b. In the former, the V36 and R155 substitutions represent the backbone of resistance, whereas in the latter resistance is less frequent as it is preferentially associated with substitutions at position A156 that are associated with a decreased fitness of the variants [19], [20], [21]. Similarly, important differences in the resistance profiles have been described in vitro with HCV-796, a non-nucleoside inhibitor of HCV RdRp. The C316Y amino acid substitution has been reported to be selected in both subtype 1a and 1b replicon cells. However, in genotype 1a replicons, the C316Y substitution has low replication capacity that must be compensated for by additional “compensatory” substitutions, including L392F or M414T, resulting in an increase in replication levels of at least 10-fold [19]. A higher genetic barrier to resistance to HCV-796 and related compounds is therefore expected in patients infected with HCV subtype 1a than 1b. In vivo, HCV-796 monotherapy was however shown to select subtype 1a variants with a single C316Y substitution, whereas the C316Y substitution was associated with a number of additional substitutions in subtype 1b patients."
I was a 1a and a 1b and beat them both......just consider a 1 a 1 and treat it as aggressively as you can. Our odds might be less but that just means we are tougher and cooler ;) (wink)
I disagree with "... consider a 1 a 1 and treat it as aggressively as you can."
For years a huge complaint in the HCV community has been the use of 'cookie cutter' tx. With the use of the IL28B test to determine a patient's genetics and a better understanding of why different genotypes and subtypes respond differently shown in the report above, we are going to see tx protocols for g1s ranging from 24 weeks to 72+ weeks.
Hopefully the reduced tx time and exposure to IFN will show many fewer post-tx health complaints.
Couldn't agree more. Reading about how those who are 1a with the CC allele respond on therapy is very exciting. (Especially being that I am one of the lucky ones with the CC.) It not only increases a persons chances of SVR to 80% with current SOC, there are studies showing CC's are much more likely to be RVR's, and I've heard word that soon 24 wks will be protocol w/ current SOC.