title: Tumor necrosis factor-α promoter gene polymorphisms are not associated with hepatitis C virus infection in Chinese hemodialysis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the possible influence of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) gene promoter polymorphisms on the hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Chinese hemodialysis (HD) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 884 HD patients from 14 HD centers in south China were investigated. The TNF-α gene promoter polymorphisms at positions 238 and 308 of the patients were detected by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 884 patients, 176 (19.9%) were anti-HCV (+), and 142 (80.7%) of the anti-HCV (+) patients became chronically infected. The anti-HCV (+) patients showed longer duration of HD, higher rate of blood transfusion, kidney transplantation, and dialyzer reuse, compared with the anti-HCV (-) patients. However, the distributions of TNF-α -238 and -308 alleles and genotypes had no significant differences between the anti-HCV (+) and the anti-HCV (-) patients (p > 0.05). And the frequencies of the above alleles and genotypes were also approximately equally distributed in the persistent infection and in the viral clearance HD patients (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study did not suggest that the TNF-α -238 and -308 polymorphisms had influence on the infection of HCV in Chinese HD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dalan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Bei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Cuiyu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Jianqing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Rong Bin
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Wei Hong
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D004247:DNA