Chemokine and chemokine receptor gene polymorphism in Tunisian hemodialysis patients with HCV infection.
BACKGROUND
Our aim was to investigate the possibility of a significant relationship between chemokines and chemokine receptor genes polymorphisms and the spontaneous clearance or the persistence of HCV infection.


METHODS
A total of 96 hemodialysis (HD) patients infected with HCV were classified into two groups: G1 included 73 patients with persistently positive HCV-RNA and G2 included 23 HD patients who have spontaneously eliminated the virus. The control group consisted of 170 healthy blood donors. All subjects were genotyped for CCR5 ?32, CCR5 (-59029) A/G, CCR2 (64Ile) and MCP-1(-2518) A/G gene polymorphisms.


RESULTS
Our results showed a statistically significant increased frequencies of the CCR2 (64Ile) and the (-59029) CCR5 A alleles in patients infected with HCV (22.1% and 35.9%) compared to G1 (24.3% and 40.6%) and compared to controls (14.4% and 20%). We also observed a lower frequency of the MCP-1 G allele and a greater frequency of the CCR5?32 variant in G2 (15.2% and 6.5%) compared to G1 (22.6% and 1.4%) that was not statistically significant. However, adjustment for known covariates (age, gender and HCV genotypes) didn't confirm the results of univariate analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, our study suggests a possible role for some of the studied chemokines polymorphisms in the spontaneous clearance or persistence of HCV infection in Tunisian population. These results should be further investigated by a prospective cohort studies and large population-based studies.
Immunology Research Laboratory of Kidney Transplantation and Immunopathology (Laboratoire de Recherche: LR03SP01), Charles Nicolle Hospital, Tunisia. ksiaaleila@yahoo.fr
Leila
L
Ksiaa Cheikh Rouhou
Yousr Lakhoua
YL
Gorgi
Hajer Aounallah
HA
Skhiri
Houda
H
Aouadi
Salwa Jendoubi
SJ
Ayed
Imen
I
Sfar
Khaled
K
Ayed
Taieb
T
Ben Abdallah
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000235:genetics*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D054390:Receptors, CCR2 / Q000235:genetics*; D019713:Receptors, CCR5 / Q000235:genetics*; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014416:Tunisia
D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D012367:RNA, Viral; D054390:Receptors, CCR2; D019713:Receptors, CCR5