Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

Background and Aim:

Cytokines are believed to play an important role in the regulation of cellular immune response in hepatitis B virus infection. Interleukin 10 is a member of cytokine family. The overall expression of these molecules is mainly controlled by single nucleotide polymorphisms at specific sites on the promoter region of the Interleukin 10 gene.

The aim of this study was to analyze the association between Interleukin 10 gene single nucleotide polymorphism )rs1800872A/C( and chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

Methods:

A total of 130 chronic hepatitis B virus infected patients and 130 healthy controls were involved in this study.

Polymorphism detection and amplification was performed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and genotyping was carried out by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP).

Results:

Genotype frequencies of CC, AC and AA were 40%, 50.8% and 9.2% respectively for our patients and 56.9%, 36.2% and 6.9% in our control group. A statistically significant difference was observed in the frequency of Interleukin 10 gene polymorphism rs1800872A/C between healthy subjects and those with hepatitis B virus infection for both allele (P=0.017) and genotype (P=0.024) frequencies.

Conclusion: 

Interleukin 10 gene polymorphism rs1800872A/C could be a host genetic factor associated with susceptibility to hepatitis B virus infection or disease progression in chronic hepatitis B virus infected patients.