ABSTRACT
Background: CCR5-Delta32, a 32-base pair deletion of the CC chemokine receptor [CCR] 5 gene, is associated with slowed human immunodeficiency virus disease progression in heterozygotes and protection against infection in homozygotes between carriers and non-carriers of each genetic variant. The present study investigated the frequency and clinical consequence of the CCR%-Delta32 mutation in Egyptian HCV infected patients. Genomic DNA samples from 150 patients with chronic HCV infection were screened by PCR for the presence of the CCR5-Delta32 polymorphism. One hundred blood donors were used as control population
Results: The frequency of CCR5-Delta32 heterozygosity was 0.67% in chronic hepatitis C virus and 0% in controls. The CCR5-Delta32 allele was not associated with any of the clinical parameters of hepatitis C virus infection
Conclusion: In this study, the frequency of CCR5-Delta32 homozygosity in patients with hepatitis C was similar to controls