title: Polymorphic differences in SOD-2 may influence HCV viral clearance.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a pathogen causing chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer occurring in about 3% of the world's population. Most individuals infected with HCV develop persistent viremia. Oxidative stress may play an important role in the pathogenesis of a number of diseases including HCV infection and diabetes mellitus. Polymorphisms in the antioxidant genes may determine cellular oxidative stress levels as a primary pathogenic role in HCV and/or in its complications. Patients with HCV and normal, healthy controls were investigated for a superoxide dismutase (SOD-2) polymorphism in the mitochondrial targeting sequence with Ala/Val (C-9T) substitution. Polymorphisms in antioxidant gene SOD-2 were carried out by PCR, restriction fragment length polymorphism assays and by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. For the SOD-2 polymorphism, the RNA positive group showed a higher percentage of "CT" genotype than the RNA negative group (89.3% vs. 66.1%, P = 0.001, χ(2)  = 11.9). The RNA negative group had more TT genotypes than the RNA positive group (27.4% vs. 6.80%, P = 0.01, χ(2)  = 11.6). The exposed uninfected group had an increased frequency of the "CT" genotype (86.2% vs. 66.1%, P = 0.02, χ(2)  = 5.5). The RNA positives had a higher frequency of the "CT" from the normal controls (72.1% vs. 89.2%, P = 0.005, χ(2)  = 7.8).
authors.affiliation: Hepatology and Molecular Medicine Research Groups, Plymouth University Peninsula School of Medicine and Dentistry (PU-PSMD), Plymouth, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Annwyne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Houldsworth
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Metzner
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaminski
authors.forename: Andy G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Demaine
authors.forename: Matthew E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cramp
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099156:Superoxide Dismutase 2
chemical_list: D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000099156:Superoxide Dismutase 2
keywords: SOD-2; antioxidant; gene polymorphism; hepatitis C; virus clearance