title: HLA class II alleles and chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate association of human leucocyte antigens (HLA)-DRB1 and DQB1 polymorphisms with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and with the occurrence of severe liver fibrosis/cirrhosis in chronically infected patients. Ninety-nine white patients, from southeast Brazil, with confirmed HCV chronic infection were included in the study. Severe fibrosis/cirrhosis (METAVIR scores F3-F4) was present in 49 patients. HLA-DRB1 specificities and DRB1*11 and DQB1* alleles were determined by PCR-SSP, and their frequencies were compared between patients and a control group of 103 healthy white Brazilian individuals. The results confirmed previous reports of the association of DRB1*11 and DQB1*03 with protection from chronic HCV infection, but did not confirm their association with protection from severe fibrosis/cirrhosis. Furthermore, the results suggested that the polymorphic sites on HLA molecules responsible for protection from chronic HCV infection are encoded not only by the DRB1*1101 and DQB1*0301, as suggested in the literature, but also by other DRB1*11 and DQB1*03 alleles. Thus, we hypothesized that the common polymorphic residues shared by different DRB1*11 and/or DQB1*03 alleles might be responsible for selection of viral epitopes for presentation to CD4(+) T cells, leading to an efficient immune response against the virus.
authors.affiliation: Viral Hepatitis Division, Instituto Alfa de Gastroenterologia, Hospital das Clínicas/UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilInternal Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilImmunogenetics Division, Pediatrics Departament, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilInstituto de Ciencias Exatas, ICEX, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilLaboratório de Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: L O F
authors.initials: LOF
authors.lastname: Cangussu
authors.affiliation: Viral Hepatitis Division, Instituto Alfa de Gastroenterologia, Hospital das Clínicas/UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilInternal Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilImmunogenetics Division, Pediatrics Departament, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilInstituto de Ciencias Exatas, ICEX, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilLaboratório de Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Viral Hepatitis Division, Instituto Alfa de Gastroenterologia, Hospital das Clínicas/UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilInternal Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilImmunogenetics Division, Pediatrics Departament, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilInstituto de Ciencias Exatas, ICEX, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilLaboratório de Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.affiliation: Viral Hepatitis Division, Instituto Alfa de Gastroenterologia, Hospital das Clínicas/UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilInternal Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilImmunogenetics Division, Pediatrics Departament, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilInstituto de Ciencias Exatas, ICEX, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilLaboratório de Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Rampim
authors.affiliation: Viral Hepatitis Division, Instituto Alfa de Gastroenterologia, Hospital das Clínicas/UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilInternal Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilImmunogenetics Division, Pediatrics Departament, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilInstituto de Ciencias Exatas, ICEX, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilLaboratório de Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mingoti
authors.affiliation: Viral Hepatitis Division, Instituto Alfa de Gastroenterologia, Hospital das Clínicas/UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilInternal Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilImmunogenetics Division, Pediatrics Departament, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilInstituto de Ciencias Exatas, ICEX, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilLaboratório de Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Martins-Filho
authors.affiliation: Viral Hepatitis Division, Instituto Alfa de Gastroenterologia, Hospital das Clínicas/UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilInternal Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilImmunogenetics Division, Pediatrics Departament, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilInstituto de Ciencias Exatas, ICEX, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilLaboratório de Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerbase-DeLima
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D001938:Brazil; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; C069051:HLA-DQB1 antigen; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; C508422:HLA-DRB1*11 antigen