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.
Research Center of Gastroenterology and Liver Disease (RCGLD), Taleghanie Hospital, 7th floor, Tabnak Street, Evin, Tehran, Iran. mhosseinsina@yahoo.com
M H
MH
Somi
L
L
Najafi
B N
BN
Noori
A H M
AH
Alizadeh
M R
MR
Aghah
A
A
Shavakhi
M J
MJ
Ehsani
R
R
Aghazadeh
M
M
Masoodi
S
S
Amini
M
M
Baladast
M R
MR
Zali
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