title: Role of KIR genes and genotypes in susceptibility to or protection against hepatitis B virus infection in a Turkish cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are a family of inhibitory and activating receptors expressed by natural killer (NK) cells and regulate NK cell activity in the innate response against viral infections. The aim of this study was to determine the possibility of KIR genes and genotypes as a candidate for susceptibility to or protection against chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection or spontaneous remission of the infection in a Turkish cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study was carried out on 37 patients with chronic HBV infection, 36 patients in spontaneous remission of HBV infection, and 85 healthy subjects. Sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes analysis was used to investigate 16 KIR genes. All data were statistically analyzed by the Fisher exact test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of inhibitory KIR2DL3 (p=0.0) and 3DS1 (p=0.0) were higher in the healthy group than the group composed of chronic HBV patients and patients with spontaneous remission. There were no statistically significant differences between the rate of AA and Bx genotypes of chronic HBV patients and patients with spontaneous remission and the control group (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that KIR2DL3 and KIR3DS1 genes could be protector genes for HBV infection and they could be important immuno-genetic markers in determining antiviral immunity in the Turkish population.
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Balcali Hospital, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Filiz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kibar
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Balcali Hospital, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Goruroglu Ozturk
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aslıhan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ulu
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Eren
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Erken
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Seza
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inal
authors.affiliation: HLA Laboratory, Cukurova University, Balcali Hospital, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Suzan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dinkci
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Behice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kurtaran
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yesim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tasova
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan Salih Zeki
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Aksu
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Balcali Hospital, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Akgun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yaman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes / Q000235:genetics; D054340:Receptors, KIR / Q000235:genetics*; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D054340:Receptors, KIR