Tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene promoter polymorphism in Iranian patients with chronic hepatitis B.
BACKGROUND
Clearance of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection requires a good host immune response. Cytokines like tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF- alpha) may play a role in such immune response. Genetic changes in TNF-a gene promoter region are known to influence TNF- alpha expression. We therefore studied the role of one such mutation in chronic HBV infection.


METHODS
Presence of -308 G/A polymorphism in the promoter region of TNF- alpha gene was looked for in 100 patients with chronic HBV infection, 91 subjects with spontaneously recovered HBV infection and 89 healthy controls, using a PCR-RFLP method.


RESULTS
Variant alleles (A/A or A/G) were found in 22 of 100 (22%) patients with chronic HBV infection, 21 of 91 (23%) subjects with spontaneous HBV clearance and 14 of 89 (15.7%) control subjects (p=ns for inter-group comparisons).


CONCLUSIONS
TNF- alpha promoter polymorphism -308A is common in Iranian population, but has no association with development of chronic HBV infection.
Somi
M H
MH
Research Center of Gastroenterology and Liver Disease (RCGLD), Taleghanie Hospital, 7th floor, Tabnak Street, Evin, Tehran, Iran. mhosseinsina@yahoo.com
Najafi
L
L
Noori
B N
BN
Alizadeh
A H M
AH
Aghah
M R
MR
Shavakhi
A
A
Ehsani
M J
MJ
Aghazadeh
R
R
Masoodi
M
M
Amini
S
S
Baladast
M
M
Zali
M R
MR
D000483:Alleles; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005787:Gene Frequency; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
C439524:TNF protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha