title: The Impact of IFN-γ Gene Polymorphisms on Spontaneous Clearance of HCV Infection in Fars Province, Southern of Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Certain polymorphisms in cytokine genes such as IFN-γ may influence the outcome of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Here the frequency of the genotype, allele, and haplotype of IFN-γ gene at some loci is investigated in HCV-infected patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Totally 255 patients with chronic HCV infection and 44 spontaneously cleared individuals were included. The chronic or clearance states were confirmed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and two different qualitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) techniques. IFN-γ gene polymorphisms were performed by PCR using sequence-specific primers and PCR-RLFP on extracted genomic DNA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of GG genotype (P = 0.0001, OR: 5.69 and CI: 2.21-14.62) and allele (P = 0.0003, OR: 2.73 and CI: 1.54-4.83) of IFN-γ gene at +2109 locus was significantly higher in cases that spontaneously cleared the infection. Haplotype analysis showed the association of AG haplotype (P = 0.0046, OR = 6.14 and CI = 1.56-25) with spontaneous clearance of the infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our finding indicated that individuals with GG genotype at +2109 loci of IFN-γ gene and also AG haplotype (A allele at +874 loci and G allele at +2109 loci) may clear HCV infection more frequently than those with AA and AG genotype at +2109 loci and AA, TA, and TG haplotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology & Virology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Jamal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sarvari
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology & Virology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Afagh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moattari
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology & Virology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Neda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pirbonyeh
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterohepatology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moini
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterohepatology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Younes
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Hosseini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics*; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: HCV clearance; haplotype analysis; hepatitis C virus; interferon-γ gene profile