title: Common ABCB1 polymorphisms in Greek patients with chronic hepatitis C infection: A comparison with hyperlipidemic patients and the general population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis C virus infectivity and replication efficiency appears to be dependent on the lipid content and organization of the plasma membrane of the host cell, as well as of the intracellular membranous web. As there is increasing awareness of a role played by the efflux pump ABCB1 (p-glycoprotein, P-gp) in lipid homeostasis, its function could be a determinant of chronic HCV infection. The aim of the present study was to examine and compare the distribution of common ABCB1 genotypes in patients with chronic HCV infection (n=168), hyperlipidemic patients (n=168) and a control group (n=173), all from Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were genotyped for the ABCB12677G>T/A and 3435C>T polymorphisms with previously reported PCR-RFLP methods. Genotype and allele frequency distributions were compared between the three groups with the χ(2) test of independence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ABCB1 2677GG (ancestral) genotypes were significantly over-represented in patients with chronic hepatitis C compared to controls (39.3% vs. 26.6%, p=0.015 according to the dominant model). A similar result was obtained when hyperlipidemic patients were compared to controls (45.2% vs. 26.6%, p<0.001 according to the dominant model). Comparison of ABCB1 3435C>T genotype and allele distributions provided similar but not as significant differences. Genotype and allele distributions for both ABCB12677G>T/A and 3435C>T were very similar between HCV patients and hyperlipidemic patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings imply an influence of ABCB1 polymorphisms on HCV infectivity, possibly through an effect on lipid homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gbandi
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. Electronic address: goulas@med.auth.gr.
authors.forename: Antonis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goulas
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Evangelismos General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Vassilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sevastianos
authors.affiliation: Liver Research Unit of Athens University, Evgenidion Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Stephanos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hadziyannis
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Athanasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Panderi
authors.affiliation: 2nd Academic Department of Internal Medicine, Hippokration Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koskinas
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Athens University Medical School, Laikon General Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Papatheodoridis
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Papageorgiou Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Themistoklis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vasiliadis
authors.affiliation: 1st Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Agapakis
authors.affiliation: 1st Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Protopapas
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Athens University Medical School, Laikon General Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Panagiota
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ioannidou
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Gastroenterology, Evangelismos General Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zacharakis
authors.affiliation: 4th Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Medical School, Hippokration General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Emmanuil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sinakos
authors.affiliation: Hepatology Service, Social Security Foundation, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Sotiris
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koutsounas
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Medicine, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Germanidis
mesh_terms: D018435:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B / Q000235:genetics; D000483:Alleles; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006115:Greece; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C513055:ABCB1 protein, human; D018435:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B
keywords: ABCB1 gene polymorphisms; HCV; Hepatitis C; Hyperlipidemia