title: CB2-63 polymorphism and immune-mediated diseases associated with HCV chronic infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether CB2 variants are associated with the presence of immune-mediated disorders (IMDs) in patients with chronic HCV infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and sixty-eight anti-HCV/HCV-RNA-positive patients were enrolled, 81 with signs of IMDs and 87 without. In the IMDs group, 22 (27.2%) showed ANA positivity (titers ≥1:160), 3 (3.7%) SMA positivity (titers ≥1:160), 24 (29.6%) had cryoglobulinemia, 25 (30.9%) autoimmune thyroiditis, 4 (4.9%) psoriasis, 2 (2.5%) B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 1 (1.2%) autoimmune hemolytic anemia. All patients were screened for the CNR2 rs35761398 single nucleotide polymorphism using a TaqMan Assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the 87 patients without IMDs, the 81 with IMDs were more frequently females (65% vs. 45%, p=0.01), but no significant difference was found in the initial demographic, epidemiological, serological, biochemical or virological data. Instead, the prevalence of patients with the CB2-63 RR variant was significantly higher in the IMD than in the non-IMD group (49.4% vs. 24.1%, p=0.001). A logistic regression analysis including the CB2-63 receptor (RR vs. QR or QQ), age and sex identified the CB2-63 RR as the only independent predictor of IMDs (p=0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data suggest a significant, previously unknown, independent association between the CB2-63 RR variant and IMDs in anti-HCV-positive patients. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria of the Second University of Naples (n° 214/2012).
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Second University of Naples, Italy. Electronic address: nicola.coppola@unina2.it.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Coppola
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Hepatology, Second University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zampino
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bellini
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stanzione
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Second University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicolina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Capoluongo
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Hepatology, Second University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marrone
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Second University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Macera
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Hepatology, Second University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi Elio
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Adinolfi
authors.affiliation: Department of Woman, Child and of General and Specialized Surgery, Second University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuele Miraglia Del
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Giudice
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Second University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Evangelista
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sagnelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Woman, Child and of General and Specialized Surgery, Second University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 / Q000235:genetics*; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; C588309:CNR2 protein, human; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2
keywords: Autoimmune thyroiditis; CB2 polymorphism; Cryoglobulinemia; HCV infection; Non-organ-specific autoantibodies