AUTHOR=Bertol Bruna C. , Moreira Simone , Garcia Raquel F. L. , Ferreira Leslie E. , Debortoli Guilherme , Pinho Mauro de Souza Leite , Amendola-Pires Marcia , Maciel Alessandra M. de Almeida , Brandço-Mello Carlos E. , França Paulo H. C. de 

TITLE=IL28B gene polymorphisms in mono- and HIV-coinfected chronic hepatitis C patients

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=6

YEAR=2015

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00153

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2015.00153

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Introduction:</bold> Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance were identified near the <italic>IL28B</italic> gene. Coinfection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) influences the course of HCV contributing to liver damage. Nevertheless, little is known about the relationship between these SNPs and HCV/HIV coinfection. Our aim was to estimate the frequencies of the allelic and genotypic variants of the <italic>IL28B</italic> polymorphisms rs12979860 (<italic>C</italic>/<italic>T</italic>) and rs8099917 (<italic>T</italic>/<italic>G</italic>) and their possible association with the establishment of HCV infection.</p><p><bold>Methodology:</bold> A total of 199 non-infected controls and 230 patients with chronic hepatitis C, including 53 coinfected with HIV, participated in the study. Genotyping consisted of polymerase chain reaction and subsequent analysis of the restriction patterns resulting from exposure to endonucleases.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Among the controls with established results, 47.4% (90/190) exhibited the rs12979860 <italic>CC</italic> genotype, 43.7 <italic>CT</italic>, and 8.9% <italic>TT</italic>, whereas 29.1% (66/227), 51.5%, and 19.4% of the patients exhibited the <italic>CC</italic>, <italic>CT</italic>, and <italic>TT</italic> genotypes, respectively. With respect to rs8099917, 66.8% (133/199) of the controls exhibited the <italic>TT</italic> genotype, 31.2% <italic>TG</italic>, and 2.0% <italic>GG</italic>, whereas 56.1% (129/230), 40.9%, and 3.0% of the patients exhibited the <italic>TT</italic>, <italic>TG</italic>, and <italic>GG</italic> genotypes, respectively.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> The frequencies of the rs12979860 <italic>C</italic> allele and <italic>CC</italic> genotype and of the rs8099917 <italic>T</italic> allele and <italic>TT</italic> genotype were significantly higher among controls compared with patients, thus confirming the suggested protective effect against HCV infection. No significant difference was observed in the genotype and allelic distributions between the mono- and coinfected patients.</p>