Interaction analysis of IL-12A and IL-12B gene variants with chronic hepatitis B infection in Tunisian patients

Immunol Lett. 2020 Sep:225:50-56. doi: 10.1016/j.imlet.2020.06.004. Epub 2020 Jun 15.

Abstract

Given the key role of interleukin-12 (IL-12) in the control of HBV, we investigated the possible correlation between IL-12A rs568408 and IL-12B rs3212227 polymorphisms and the risk of chronic HBV infection in Tunisian population. Two hundred patients with chronic HBV infection and two hundred healthy controls were genotyped using PCR-RFLP. A allele, AA and AG genotypes of IL-12A rs568408 were more represented in the chronic HBV infection group compared to the control group, and they were associated with 1.65-, 2.58- and 3.13-fold risks of developing this infection, respectively. Gene-gene interaction analysis showed that subjects carrying the IL-12A rs568408AA/AG and IL-12B rs3212227AA genotypes had a 3.16-fold increased risk of chronic HBV infection. This study suggested that IL-12A rs568408 and gene-gene interactions of IL-12A rs568408 and IL-12B rs3212227 contributed to the outcome of chronic HBV infection, meanwhile indicating their usefulness as a predictive and diagnostic biomarker of chronic HBV infection.

Keywords: Chronic HBV infection; Polymorphism; Susceptibility; interleukin-12.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Gene Frequency
  • Genetic Markers
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Genotype*
  • Hepatitis B virus / physiology*
  • Hepatitis B, Chronic / genetics
  • Hepatitis B, Chronic / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-12 Subunit p35 / genetics*
  • Interleukin-12 Subunit p40 / genetics*
  • Male
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Risk
  • Tunisia

Substances

  • Genetic Markers
  • IL12A protein, human
  • IL12B protein, human
  • Interleukin-12 Subunit p35
  • Interleukin-12 Subunit p40