No significant influence of HLA determinants on susceptibility to hepatitis C virus infection in Caucasian patients with end-stage renal disease.
In hepatitis C, both susceptibility to infection and the course of disease may depend on differences in the immune response. As the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) plays a crucial role in antigen presentation, we investigated a possible relationship between susceptibility to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and human leucocyte antigen (HLA) alleles. Therefore, phenotype frequencies of HLA were compared in 186 anti-HCV positive patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) to 328 anti-HCV negative patients with ESRD. HLA class I alleles were determined serologically and HLA class II alleles (DRB1, DQA1, DQB1) by the polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific oligonucleotide (PCR-SSO) technique. Additionally, in anti-HCV positive patients we looked for a relationship between the activity of hepatitis C (indicated by elevation of transaminases or the presence of viremia) and HLA determinants. For the three criteria (antibody status, elevation of transaminases and viremia) a significant association to HLA alleles was not found in patients with ESRD. This suggests that neither susceptibility to HCV infection nor the biochemical activity of hepatitis and HCV-RNA positivity seem to be strongly related to HLA status in Caucasian patients with end-stage renal disease.
Chen
D F
DF
Blood Bank Immunohaematology-Transfusion Medicine, Medical University of Hannover, Germany.
Endres
W
W
Kliem
V
V
Tillmann
H L
HL
Brunkhorst
R
R
Koch
K M
KM
Manns
M P
MP
Stangel
W
W
D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D016174:Hepacivirus; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D044465:White People
D006680:HLA Antigens