Differential distribution of IL28B.rs12979860 single-nucleotide polymorphism among Egyptian healthcare workers with and without a hepatitis C virus-specific cellular immune response

Arch Virol. 2015 Jul;160(7):1741-50. doi: 10.1007/s00705-015-2446-7. Epub 2015 May 15.

Abstract

The CC genotype of the interleukin (IL)-28B.rs12979860 gene has been associated with spontaneous hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance and treatment response. The distribution and correlation of an IL28B.rs12979860 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with HCV-specific cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses among Egyptian healthcare workers (HCWs) is not known. We determined this relationship in 402 HCWs who serve a patient cohort with ~85% HCV prevalence. We enrolled 402 HCWs in four groups: group 1 (n = 258), seronegative aviremic subjects; group 2 (n = 25), seronegative viremic subjects; group 3 (n = 41), subjects with spontaneously resolved HCV infection; and group 4 (n = 78), chronic HCV patients. All subjects were tested for an HCV-specific CMI response using an ex-vivo interferon-gamma (IFNγ) ELISpot assay with nine HCV genotype-4a overlapping 15-mer peptide pools corresponding to all of the HCV proteins. All subjects were tested for IL28B.rs12979860 SNP by real-time PCR. An HCV-specific CMI was demonstrated in ~27% of the seronegative aviremic HCWs (group 1), suggesting clearance of infection after low-level exposure to HCV. The frequency of IL28B.rs12979860 C allele homozygosity in the four groups was 49%, 48%, 49%, and 23%, while that of the T allele was 14%, 16%, 12 and 19%, respectively, suggesting differential distributions among subjects with different HCV status. As reported, IL28B.rs12979860 predicted the outcome of HCV infection (p < 0.05), but we did not find any relationship between the IL28B genotypes and the outcome of HCV-specific CMI responses in the four groups (p > 0.05). The data show differential IL28B.rs12979860 genotype distribution among Egyptian HCWs with different HCV status and could not predict the outcome of HCV-specific CMI responses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Alleles
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Hepacivirus / immunology*
  • Hepacivirus / physiology
  • Hepatitis Antibodies / immunology
  • Hepatitis C / genetics*
  • Hepatitis C / immunology*
  • Hepatitis C / microbiology
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Cellular*
  • Interferons
  • Interleukins / genetics*
  • Interleukins / immunology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Hepatitis Antibodies
  • interferon-lambda, human
  • Interleukins
  • Interferons