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| Cytokine and apoptosis gene polymorphisms influence the outcome of hepatitis C virus infection |
| Leila Ksiaa Cheikhrouhou, Imen Sfar, Hajer Aounallah-Skhiri, Houda Aouadi, Salwa Jendoubi-Ayed, Taieb Ben Abdallah, Khaled Ayed and Yousr Lakhoua-Gorgi |
Tunis, Tunisia
Author Affiliations: Immunology Research Laboratory of Kidney Trans-plantation and Immunopathology (Laboratoire de Recherche: LR03SP01), Charles Nicolle Hospital, Thunis, Tunisia (Ksiaa Cheikhrouhou L, Sfar I, Aouadi H, Jendoubi-Ayed S, Ben Abdallah T, Ayed K and Lakhoua-Gorgi Y), and National Health Institute, Tunis, Tunisia (Aounallah-Skhiri H)
Corresponding Author: Yousr Lakhoua-Gorgi, Professor, Laboratory of Immunology, Charles Nicolle Hospital, Boulevard 9 Avril, 1006 Tunis, Tunisia (Tel: 0021671578055; Fax: 0021671561156; Email: yousr.gorgi@rns.tn) |
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Abstract BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is thought to be chronic and the factors leading to viral clearance or persistence are poorly understood. This study was undertaken to investigate the possibility of a significant relationship between the spontaneous clearance or the persistence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and cytokine and apoptosis gene polymorphisms in Tunisian patients on hemodialysis.
METHODS: Polymorphisms of the genes IL-1 (-889 IL-1α, -511 and +3954 IL-1β, IL-1Ra), IL-18 (-137 and -607), IL-12 (-1188) and Apo1/Fas (-670) were determined by PCR-RFLP, PCR-SSP and PCR-VNTR in 100 healthy blood donors and 100 patients infected with HCV and undergoing hemodialysis. The patients were classified into two groups: G1 consisted of 76 active chronic hepatitis patients (positive for HCV RNA) and G2 consisted of 24 hemodialysed patients who spontaneously eliminated the virus (negative for HCV RNA).
RESULTS: The frequency of genotype association [-137GC/-607CA] IL-18 was higher in G2 (41.7%) than in G1 (15.8%) (P=0.008; OR=0.26; 95% CI, 0.10-0.73). We also found a higher frequency of the AA genotype of the Apo1/Fas gene in G2 (41.6%) than in G1 (17.5%) (P=0.026; OR=3.49; 95% CI, 1.13-10.69). Adjustment for known covariate factors (age, gender and genotype) confirmed these univariate findings and revealed that the genotype association GC-CA of the (-137 and -607) IL-18 gene and the AA genotype of the Apo1/Fas gene were associated with the clearance of HCV (P=0.041 and 0.017, respectively).
CONCLUSION: The two genotypes GC-CA of the (-137 and -607) IL-18 polymorphism and the AA genotype of the Apo1/Fas gene influence the outcome of HCV infection in Tunisian patients on hemodialysis.
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2011, Vol. 10 
