title: Distribution of the HLA class I allele in chronic hepatitis C and its association with serum ALT level in chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: An essential process for resolution of viral infections is the efficient recognition and elimination of intracellular virus. Recognition of viral antigens in the form of short peptides associated with HLA class I molecule is a major task of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes. In this study, we have evaluated the frequency of the HLA class I alleles in patients with chronic hepatitis C. HLA-B51, -B52, -B55, -B56, -B61, B70, -Cw1, -Cw3, and -Cw4 are less frequent in patients with chronic hepatitis C than in Japanese individuals. The frequency of HLA-A2 is slightly lower in the patients but tends to be higher in patients with normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level than in those with elevated ALT level (p = 0.07). Other HLA alleles are not significantly different between two groups. Comparison of HLA homozygosity at HLA-A and -B or -C or at two or three loci did not show a significant association with levels of serum ALT or with the clinical outcome of interferon therapy in patients with hepatitis C. These results suggest a possibility that the alterations of host response, which depends on genetic background, influence disease activities of HCV infection.
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574, Japan.
authors: Yasuteru
authors: Y
authors: Kondo
authors: Koju
authors: K
authors: Kobayashi
authors: Tomoo
authors: T
authors: Kobayashi
authors: Masaaki
authors: M
authors: Shiina
authors: Yoshiyuki
authors: Y
authors: Ueno
authors: Takaomi
authors: T
authors: Satoh
authors: Tooru
authors: T
authors: Shimosegawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I; D005838:Genotype; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000410:Alanine Transaminase