title: Allelic frequencies of HPA-1 to 5 human platelet antigens in patients infected with hepatitis C virus.
abstract: Studies have suggested that hepatitis C virus (HCV) may infect not only hepatocytes but may also be carried by platelets. Platelets express more than 20 polymorphic antigenic determinants on their surface, which are called human platelet antigens (HPA). To determine the allele frequency of the HPA-1 to -5 in patients infected with HCV, blood samples were collected from 257 blood donors for the control group and from 191 patients infected with HCV. DNA was isolated and amplified for genes HPA-1 to -4 using PCR Sequence Specific Primers (PCR-SSP) and HPA-5 using PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The allelic and genotypic frequency of HPA-5a in patients infected with HCV was found to be significantly lower (P < 0.05) than in the controls, and HPA-5b from patients infected with HCV was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than in controls. The increase in HPA-5b allelic frequency in HCV infection may indicate a possible association between HCV infection and HPAs.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Laboratory of Blood Transfusion Center, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University, UNESP, Botucatu-SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila Fernanda
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Verdichio-Moraes
authors.forename: Cecília
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Toralles-Pereira
authors.forename: Rejane Maria Tommasini
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Grotto
authors.forename: Giovanni Faria
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Maria Inês de Moura Campos
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Pardini
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D016824:Antigens, Human Platelet / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D001782:Blood Donors; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000276:immunology*; D005787:Gene Frequency; D016174:Hepacivirus; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: C055973:5b alloantigen, human; D016824:Antigens, Human Platelet