Demonstration of the frequencies and their effects of programmed cell death (PD) gene polymorphisms between chronic hepatitis B patients and individuals who recovered from hepatits B virus infection spontaneously

Demonstration of The Frequencies and Their Effects of Programmed Cell Death (PD) Gene Polymorphisms Between Chronic Hepatitis B Patients and İndividuals Who Recovered from Hepatits B Virus İnfection SpontaneouslyIntroduction and Objective: Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) plays a critical role in regulating T-cell function during hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The present study aims to investigate the relationships between the polymorphism of the PD-1 gene (G7146A and T7209C) and the spontaneous clearance of HBsAg after a HBV infection.Materials and methods: We used polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay to determine the genotype frequency of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of PD-1 (G7146A and T7209C) in 220 chronic HBV infected patients and 160 control subjects who recovered from HBV infection spontaneously.Results: No statistically significant differences were found in the allele or genotype distributions of the PD-1 G7146A and T7209C polymorphisms among chronic HBV infected patients and control subjects who who recovered from HBV infection spontaneously (P>0.05). Also, there were no statistically significant differences in ALT, AST, GGT, bilirubin, albumin, glucose, urea, creatinine, white blood cell, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and ferritin between chronic HBV infected patients and control subjects (P>0.05). However, prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio (INR), platelets, total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL and HDL levels were significantly different among chronic HBV infected patients and control subjects (P=0.001)Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that the PD-1 G7146A and T7209C polymorphisms have no major role in genetic susceptibility to spontaneous clearance of HBsAg after a HBV infection, at least in the Turkish population. Independent studies are needed to validate our findings in a larger series, as well as in patients of different ethnic origins. In addition, PTZ, INR, platelets, and lipid parameters in patients with chronic hepatitis may be associated impairment of liver synthesis function.Key Words: Chronic hepatitis B, PD-1 polymorphisms, Spontaneous HBsAg clearance