Association of interferon-gamma gene polymorphisms in Taiwanese children with biliary atresia.
BACKGROUND
Biliary atresia (BA) is a devastating neonatal hepatobiliary disease characterized by bile duct inflammation and fibrosis. The pathogenesis remains unclear, but immunologically mediated injury to bile ducts following an infectious insult is likely to play a critical role. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is a key cytokine that affects immune-mediated inflammatory responses.


OBJECTIVE
This study aims to investigate whether polymorphisms of the IFN-gamma (IFNG) gene were associated with susceptibility to BA.


METHODS
The IFNG -1615 C/T, -183 G/T, +874 A/T, and +2197 A/G polymorphisms were genotyped using the TaqMan assay, and CA repeat microsatellite was analyzed using capillary electrophoresis in 50 children with BA and 788 ethnically matched healthy controls.


RESULTS
The distribution of genotype, allele, and haplotype frequencies of these IFNG gene variants did not differ significantly between children with BA and controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Polymorphisms of the IFNG gene do not appear to play a major role in the genetic predisposition to BA in Taiwanese children.
Lee
Hung-Chang
HC
Departments of Pediatrics, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chang
Tzu-Yang
TY
Yeung
Chun-Yan
CY
Chan
Wai-Tao
WT
Jiang
Chuen-Bin
CB
Chen
Wei-Fang
WF
Chan
Hui-Wen
HW
Liu
Hsin-Fu
HF
Lin
Marie
M
Lee
Yann-Jinn
YJ
D000293:Adolescent; D001656:Biliary Atresia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D013624:Taiwan; D055815:Young Adult
D007371:Interferon-gamma