title: Association of a genetic polymorphism in ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 with hepatitis C virus infection and hepatitis C virus core antigen levels in subjects in a hyperendemic area of Japan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The clinical course of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is strongly associated with insulin resistance and obesity. The K121Q polymorphism in the ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase (ENPP)-1 gene and the rs7566605 genotype located near insulin-induced gene 2 have been shown to be associated with insulin resistance and obesity. This study examined whether the K121Q polymorphism in ENPP1 or the rs7566605 genotype is associated with the clinical course of HCV infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  The relationships between the clinical characteristics of 469 anti-HCV antibody-seropositive subjects (353 were positive for HCV core antigen or RNA, whereas 116 were negative for HCV RNA) and the polymorphisms were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences in body mass index, plasma glucose level, serum insulin level, and other biochemical markers were observed between subgroups of subjects with different genotypes at the K121Q polymorphism or rs7566605. The frequency of the homozygous wild-type genotype at K121Q in HCV carriers, however, was significantly higher than that in subjects who were negative for HCV RNA (84.5% vs. 75.9%; P < 0.05). Moreover, in HCV carriers, HCV core antigen levels in subjects homozygous for the wild-type genotype at K121Q were significantly higher than in heterozygous carriers of K121Q (5358 fmol/l vs. 4002 fmol/l; P = 0.04). In contrast, the rs7566605 genotype was not associated with hepatitis C viremia or with the HCV core antigen level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The K121Q variant of ENPP1 may be associated with hepatitis C viremia and core antigen levels in HCV carriers.
authors.affiliation: Miyazaki Prefectural Industrial Support Foundation, Miyazaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahama
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uto
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanmura
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oketani
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ido
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kusumoto
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hasuike
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Katsuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Sherri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stuver
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okayama
authors.forename: Hirohito
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsubouchi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D006579:Heterozygote; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011755:Pyrophosphatases / Q000235:genetics*; D014766:Viremia
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D007328:Insulin; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; C065962:ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase 1; D011755:Pyrophosphatases