[Alleles distribution of polymorphic promoter region C-590T in interleukin-4 genes and Q-576r and Ile-50Val regions in IL-4 receptor gene IL-4RA in patients with HCV-infection].

81 patients with confirmed HCV-infection and 48 healthy volunteers were examined. In healthy Caucasian participants living in Siberian region significant predominance of C/T genotype in promoter region C-590T of interleukin-4 (IL-4) gene and Q/Q and Ile/Val genotypes in points -50 and -576 of IL-4RA gene that codes alpha-chains of IL-4 receptor were revealed. In patients with HCV-infection predominance of C/T genotype in C-590T region in IL-4 gene (OR = 1.86), R/R genotype in Q-576R region of IL-4RA gene (OR=7.86), and Val/Val genotype in point Ile-50Val (OR = 2.6) of the same gene. Summary predictive coefficient of hepatitis C development in carriers of these genotypes approached to 95%. During analysis of role of allelic polymorphism of IL-4 genes in predisposition to hepatitis C development it is necessary to consider not only presence of allelic variants of promoter regions of the IL-4 genes, but also the polymorphism of genes coding molecules binding with this cytokine on target cells membranes and in its soluble form.

Role of genetically determined production of immunoregulatory cytokines in immunopathogenesis of chronic viral hepatitides.

Immunopathogenesis of chronic viral hepatitides was studied by modern immunological, molecular, genetic methods. We revealed an imbalance in the production of immunoregulatory cytokines by mononuclear leukocytes (primarily of the Th2 type). The risk of progression and chronic course of viral hepatitides in Caucasian population was associated with alleles of promoter regions -330G and -592A in the IL-2 and IL-10 genes, respectively, as well as with the T/T genotype of the polymorphic region C590T in the IL-4 gene. The C/C genotype of the IL-10 gene promoter region C592A was shown to be a factor determining resistance to long-term persistence of hepatitis B and C viruses.

Polymorphism of promotor region of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene in patients with viral hepatitis C.

Study of the pathogenesis of viral hepatitis C is of primary importance because of persistence of this virus and high incidence of chronic course of this disease, and as a consequence, development of cirrhotic and neoplastic processes in the liver determining high mortality from this condition. Proinflammatory cytokines, in particular, tumor necrosis factor, play an important role in the development of these pathological processes. The content of tumor necrosis factor in the circulating blood plasma and hepatocytes increases in acute and chronic hepatitis C. It seems that the capacity of cells to produce proinflammatory IL in high or low levels spontaneously or after antigenic stimulation largely determines the outcome of infectious process in contact with the virus.