title: The Correlation Between Interferon Lambda 3 Gene Polymorphisms and Susceptibility to Hepatitis B Virus Infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cytokines are proteins that mediate innate and adaptive immunity responses. It is hypothesized that interferon lambda 3 (IFNL3) levels can influence the outcome of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Polymorphisms in IFN genes have been associated with response to infection.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was carried-out to investigate the association of IFNL3 gene polymorphisms (rs12979860 and rs8099917) with HBV susceptibility, in chronic HBV-infected patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this case-control study, we determined IFNL3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs12979860 and rs8099917) in 221 individuals, with chronic HBV infection, and 200 healthy individuals, who were voluntary blood donors, with negative test for HBV. Alleles and genotypes analyses were performed by amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequencies of the rs12979860 and rs8099917 genotypes were not significantly different between the HBV-infected and the control groups (CC:CT:TT of 30.3%:48.0%:21.7% vs. 33.0%:49.0%:18.0%, P > 0.05, and GG:GT:TT of 5.8%:39.4%:54.8% vs. 5.0%:41.0%:54.0%, P > 0.05, respectively). Also, the frequencies of the alleles were not significantly different between both groups (C:T of 54.3%:45.7% vs. 57.5%:42.5%, P > 0.05, and G:T of 25.6%:74.4% vs. 25.5%:74.5%, P > 0.05, respectively) and the chronic HBV infection. There were no significant differences between patients, with at least one rs12979860C and or rs8099917T alleles compared to the healthy controls (rs12979860: CT + CC:TT, OR = 1.26, 95%CI = 0.78 - 2.04, P = 0.341 and rs8099917: GT + TT:GG, OR = 1.03, 95%CI = 0.70 - 1.51, P = 0.877, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed no correlation between rs12979860 and rs8099917 SNPs and chronic HBV infection. Further studies, with larger sample sizes and different ethnicities, are necessary to validate our findings.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran; Department of Histology, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Heidari
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran; Department of Histology, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Bita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moudi
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran; Department of Histology, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Hamidreza
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mahmoudzadeh-Sagheb
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran; Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashemi
keywords: Chronic Hepatitis B; Genetic Polymorphism; Interferon Lambda 3 (IFNL3)