Interaction of IFNL3 with insulin resistance, steatosis and lipid metabolism in chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Metabolic changes are inextricably linked to chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Recently polymorphisms in the IFNL3 (IL28B) region have been shown to be strongly associated with spontaneous and treatment induced recovery from hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Further, circumstantial evidence suggests a link between IFNL3 single nucleotide polymorphisms and lipid metabolism, steatosis and insulin resistance in CHC. The emerging picture suggests that the responder genotypes of IFNL3 polymorphisms are associated with a higher serum lipid profile, and less frequent steatosis and insulin resistance. This review analyzes the current data regarding this interaction and its meaning for HCV pathogenesis and disease progression. (C) 2013 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.