Original scientific paper

Interleukin-1beta gene promoter polymorphism is associated with higher liver fibrosis progression rate in Croatian patients with biochemically active chronic hepatitis C

Ivica Grgurević ; Department of gastroenterology, hepatology and clinical nutrition; Department of internal medicine, University Hospital Dubrava, University of Zagreb, School of medicine and Faculty of pharmacy and biochemistry, Croatia
Sanja Kozić Dokmanović ; Laboratory for molecular diagnostics of infectious diseases
Mira Šćukanec-Špoljar ; Department of pathology, University of Zagreb School of medicine, Croatia
Ivan Kurelac ; Department of viral hepatitis,
Zdenko Sonicki ; Department of epidemiology and medical statistics,
Marijan Kirin ; Intensive care unit, Department of internal medicine, University hospital Dubrava, University of Zagreb School of medicine, Croatia
Nikola Štoković ; University of Zagreb, School of medicine
Snježana Židovec Lepej ; Laboratory for molecular diagnostics of infectious diseases,
Adriana Vince ; Laboratory for molecular diagnostics of infectious diseases,

Abstract

Background and aims: Genetic polymorphisms of immune mediators have been associated with differences in the natural course of chronic hepatitis C (CHC). The aim of this study was to analyze the association of IL-1β gene polymorphism with the stage of liver fibrosis (LF), grade of necroinflammatory activity (NIA) and fibrosis progression rate (FPR) in CHC patients.
Patients and methods: The study included 50 treatment-naive Croatian CHC patients (36 male and 14 female; age median 37.5 years) with elevated ALT. Diallele polymorphism (C/T) at locus -31 in the IL-1β gene promoter region was determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Stage of LF and NIA were assessed from liver biopsy sample according to Ishak classification.
Results: There was no difference in the stage of LF and NIA level between particular patient genotypes. However, patients with at least 1 C allele at locus -31showed significantly faster FPR than those with no C allele (0.4 vs. 0.258 Ishak's units/year; p = 0.043). Higher stages of fibrosis were observed in older patients (p = 0.001) and those infected at an older age (p = 0.017).
Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that the carriage of at least 1 C allele at -31 locus of IL-1β gene led to faster progression of LF in CHC patients with a biochemically active disease, but did not determine the final stage of fibrosis development. Combined with other risk factors, this finding may serve as a genetic marker to identify patients that require earlier introduction of therapy, since delay could hamper therapeutic success due to rapid disease progression.

Keywords

Hepatitis C; interleukin - 1beta; gene polymorphism

Hrčak ID:

178483

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/178483

Publication date:

20.3.2017.

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