Association of Interleukin-12 Gene Polymorphism with Persistence of Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Hepatocellular Carcinoma / 대한소화기학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) may result in various conditions. Natural course of HBV infection is influenced by various host immune factors and cytokines play a crucial role in host immune defense. This study was undertaken to investigate the association between HBV persistence and development of hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of interleukin (IL)-12A. METHODS: Between March 2002 and December 2004, seven hundred thirty Korean patients with HBV infection and 320 healthy individuals who recovered from HBV infection were enrolled. We assessed polymorphisms and haplotype in IL-12A, and the genotype distributions of the HBV clearance and persistence groups were compared in order to investigate the association between HBV persistence and SNPs of IL-12A. Moreover, the genotypic distributions between patients with HCC and without HCC were compared to investigate the association between the development of HCC and SNPs of IL-12A. RESULTS: We asssesed the SNPs of IL-12A at position +6400, +6624 and +7003. On the basis of logistic regression analysis, no statistically significant association with HBV persistence was observed with IL-12A exon 7 +6400, +6624, 3' UTR +7003 SNP and haplotype of IL-12A +6400/+6624/+7003. Furthermore, no statistically significant association of HCC development with IL-12A exon 7 +6400, +6624, 3' UTR +7003 SNP and haplotype of IL-12A +6400/+6624/+7003 was observed. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that SNPs and haplotype of IL-12A are not associated with HBV persistence and development of HCC. Further studies are needed to identify the host genetic factors in immune defense including cytokine gene polymorphisms of both IL-12A and IL-12B.