title: Differential distribution of IL28B.rs12979860 single-nucleotide polymorphism among Egyptian healthcare workers with and without a hepatitis C virus-specific cellular immune response.
abstract: The CC genotype of the interleukin (IL)-28B.rs12979860 gene has been associated with spontaneous hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance and treatment response. The distribution and correlation of an IL28B.rs12979860 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with HCV-specific cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses among Egyptian healthcare workers (HCWs) is not known. We determined this relationship in 402 HCWs who serve a patient cohort with ~85% HCV prevalence. We enrolled 402 HCWs in four groups: group 1 (n = 258), seronegative aviremic subjects; group 2 (n = 25), seronegative viremic subjects; group 3 (n = 41), subjects with spontaneously resolved HCV infection; and group 4 (n = 78), chronic HCV patients. All subjects were tested for an HCV-specific CMI response using an ex-vivo interferon-gamma (IFNγ) ELISpot assay with nine HCV genotype-4a overlapping 15-mer peptide pools corresponding to all of the HCV proteins. All subjects were tested for IL28B.rs12979860 SNP by real-time PCR. An HCV-specific CMI was demonstrated in ~27% of the seronegative aviremic HCWs (group 1), suggesting clearance of infection after low-level exposure to HCV. The frequency of IL28B.rs12979860 C allele homozygosity in the four groups was 49%, 48%, 49%, and 23%, while that of the T allele was 14%, 16%, 12 and 19%, respectively, suggesting differential distributions among subjects with different HCV status. As reported, IL28B.rs12979860 predicted the outcome of HCV infection (p < 0.05), but we did not find any relationship between the IL28B genotypes and the outcome of HCV-specific CMI responses in the four groups (p > 0.05). The data show differential IL28B.rs12979860 genotype distribution among Egyptian HCWs with different HCV status and could not predict the outcome of HCV-specific CMI responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, 61511, Egypt, icpminia@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Sayed F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Abdelwahab
authors.forename: Zainab
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zakaria
authors.forename: Maha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sobhy
authors.forename: Shaimaa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamdy
authors.forename: Mohamed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mahmoud
authors.forename: Nabiel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mikhail
authors.forename: Walaa R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Allam
authors.forename: Eman
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rewisha
authors.forename: Imam
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Waked
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007372:Interferons; D007378:Interleukins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D055815:Young Adult; D000095022:Interferon Lambda
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007372:Interferons; D007378:Interleukins; C000624353:interferon-lambda, human; D000095022:Interferon Lambda