Polymorphism of IFN-γ (+874 T/A) in Syrian patients with chronic hepatitis B

Background: There is an accumulating evidence indicating that the inadequate immune responses are responsible for HBV persistency. Therefore, polymorphisms in genes encoding the cytokines, which are responsible for regulation of the immune response, can affect the course and outcome of the infection. The IFN-γ +874 T/A polymorphism affects the expression of IFN-?, which shown to be crucial to HBV clearance. The Aim: This study aimed to investigate the association of IFN- γ +874 (T/A) Polymorphism with the HBV infection outcome in Syrian population. Patients and Methods: In this prospective cross-sectional study, 113 samples were collected (43 healthy individuals, 69 chronic HBV patients). Genomic DNA was isolated. Sequencing and ARMS-PCR were performed to genotype the IFN-γ +874 T/A polymorphism. Results: Results of this study showed an association between IFN- γ +874 T/A polymorphism with the chronic HBV infection (P < 0.05). In addition, results showed that the AA genotype increased the risk of chronicity (OR = 4.15, 95% CI = 1.39 – 12.4), whereas the AT genotype reduced the risk of chronicity (OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.18 – 0.90). Conclusion: Results of this study might conclude that the IFN- γ +874 T/A polymorphism is associated with the chronic HBV infection, according to the genetic model AA vs. AT&TT.