Clearance of hepatitis C virus is not associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms in the IL-1, -6, or -10 genes

Hum Immunol. 2005 Feb;66(2):127-32. doi: 10.1016/j.humimm.2004.11.001.

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) commonly causes a chronic infection, but a minority of patients are able to clear the virus and do not run the risk of developing HCV-induced organ damage. Genetic associations between immunoregulatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1, -6, and -10 with clinical features of HCV, including virus clearance, have been inconsistent. We determined cytokine genotypes in 606 patients who had serologic evidence of HCV exposure, 190 (18%) of whom were consistently negative for HCV RNA, indicating successful virus clearance. There was no significant difference in genotype frequencies between HCV clearance and nonclearance groups for IL-1B (-511 and +3954), IL-1A (+4845), IL-1RN (+2018), IL-6 (-174), or IL-10 (-1082). We conclude that these single nucleotide polymorphisms are unlikely to play an important, if any, role in determining the likelihood of clearing HCV infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Hepacivirus / immunology*
  • Hepatitis / genetics*
  • Hepatitis / immunology
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-1 / genetics*
  • Interleukin-10 / genetics*
  • Interleukin-6 / genetics*
  • Male
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

  • Interleukin-1
  • Interleukin-6
  • Interleukin-10