title: HLA-E polymorphism and soluble HLA-E plasma levels in chronic hepatitis B patients.
abstract: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection occurs in association to a deregulation of immune system. Human leukocyte antigen E (HLA-E) is an immune-tolerant nonclassical HLA class I molecule that could be involved in HBV progression. To measure soluble (s) HLA-E in patients with chronic HBV hepatitis (CHB). We tested the potential association of HLA-E*01:01/01:03 A > G gene polymorphism to CHB. Our cohort consisted of 93 Tunisian CHB patients (stratified in CHB with high HBV DNA levels and CHB with low HBV DNA levels) and 245 healthy donors. Plasma sHLA-E was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific primer. No association between HLA-E*01:01/01:03 A > G polymorphism and HBV DNA levels in CHB patients was found. G/G genotype is less frequent in CHB patients without significance. sHLA-E is significantly enhanced in CHB patients compared with healthy controls (P = 0.0017). Stratification according to HBV DNA levels showed that CHB patients with low HBV DNA levels have higher sHLA-E levels compared with CHB patients with high HBV DNA levels. CHB patients with G/G genotype have enhanced sHLA-E levels compared with other genotypes (P = 0.037). This significant difference is maintained only for CHB women concerning G/G genotypes (P = 0.042). Finally, we reported enhanced sHLA-E in CHB patients with advanced stages of fibrosis (P = 0.032). We demonstrate, for the first time, the association of sHLA-E to CHB. Owing to the positive correlation of HLA-E*01:01/01:03 A > G polymorphism and the association of sHLA-E to advanced fibrosis stages, HLA-E could be a powerful predictor for CHB progression. Further investigations will be required to substantiate HLA-E role as a putative clinical biomarker of CHB.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Sciences Faculty of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zidi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Sciences Faculty of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.|Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, UR12SP34, University Hospital Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Laaribi
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Diagnostic Medicine, Section Microbiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bortolotti
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, UR12SP34, University Hospital Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belhadj
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, UR12SP34, University Hospital Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehri
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Sciences Faculty of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Yahia
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Sciences Faculty of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Babay
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chaouch
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine Ibn Al Jazzar, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zidi
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Letaief
authors.affiliation: Regional Center of Blood Transfusion, University Hospital Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yacoub
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, UR12SP34, University Hospital Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boukadida
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Diagnostic Medicine, Section Microbiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Luca
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, UR12SP34, University Hospital Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hannachi
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Diagnostic Medicine, Section Microbiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rizzo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D005838:Genotype; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D000097625:HLA-E Antigens
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000097625:HLA-E Antigens
keywords: chronic hepatitis B; human leukocyte antigen-E gene; polymorphism; soluble human leukocyte antigen-E