title: Correlation between patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 gene polymorphisms and liver cirrhosis in a chinese han population with chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 (PNPLA3) genes (rs738409) is associated with the severity of fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with fatty liver disease. However, in a small group of Italian patients, there was no significant correlation between the rs738409 SNP and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection-associated liver cirrhosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate whether PNPLA3 polymorphisms are a risk factor for liver cirrhosis in a Chinese Han population with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 344 Chinese Han patients with CHB, among which 203 presented with liver cirrhosis (LC group) and 141 had no sign of liver cirrhosis (CHB group). TaqMan genotyping assay was used to investigate the association of two PNPLA3 SNPs (rs738409 and rs2281135) with the risk of liver cirrhosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The allele and genotype distributions of PNPLA3 rs738409 and rs2281135 were not significantly different between the CHB and LC groups. After segregation on the basis of sex, no significant correlation between PNPLA3 (rs738409 and rs2281135) genotypes/alleles and liver cirrhosis was detected. Moreover, none of the haplotypes in PNPLA3 (rs738409 and rs2281135) was found to be statistically different between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results showed no association between PNPLA3 polymorphisms (rs738409 and rs2281135) and the susceptibility to HBV-related liver cirrhosis in a Chinese Han population.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Jinjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Sihui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Qingling
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: Hepatitis B, Chronic; Liver Cirrhosis; Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms