Published online Feb 7, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i5.776
Revised: August 9, 2005
Accepted: August 26, 2005
Published online: February 7, 2006
AIM: To examine the effect of interleukin-1-beta (IL-1β) promoter region C-511T and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RN) polymorphism among the patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (HCC and non-HCC).
METHODS: Genomic DNA from 136 Thai patients with chronic HBV infection (HCC = 46 and non-HCC = 90) and 152 healthy individuals was genotyped for IL-1β gene polymorphism (-511) using polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP). The variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) of IL-1RN gene was assessed by a PCR-based assay. The association between these genes and status of the disease was evaluated by χ2 test.
RESULTS: IL-1B-511 genotype C/C was found to be significantly different in patients with HCC when compared with healthy individuals (P = 0.036, OR = 2.29, 95%CI = 1.05-4.97) and patients without HCC (P =0.036, OR = 2.52, 95%CI=1.05-6.04). Analysis of allele frequencies of IL-1B-511 showed that IL-1B-511 C allele was also significantly increased in patients with HCC, compared to that in healthy control (P = 0.033, OR = 1.72, 95%CI=1.04-2.84). However, no significant association in IL-1RN gene was found between the two groups.
CONCLUSION: IL-1B-511C allele, which may be associated with high IL-1B production in the liver, is a genetic marker for the development of HCC in chronic hepatitis B patients in Thai population.