J Appl Biomed 20:37-43, 2022 | DOI: 10.32725/jab.2022.001

Mahmoud F. Dondeti1, 2, Mohamed S. Abdelkhalek1, Hosam El-Din M Elezawy3, Walaa F. Alsanie4, Bassem M. Raafat5, Amira M. Gamal-Eldeen4, Roba M. Talaat1, * 1University of Sadat City (USC), Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute (GEBRI), Molecular Biology Department, Sadat City, Egypt 2National Research Centre (NRC), Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Division, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt 3Menoufia University, National Liver Institute (NLI), Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Diagnostics Department, Menoufia, Egypt 4Taif University, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Clinical Laboratory Sciences Department, Taif, Saudi Arabia 5Taif University, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Radiological Sciences Department, Taif, Saudi Arabia

Background: Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is a chief proinflammatory cytokine with a significant role in the immune response against viral infections. Today there is increasing evidence about the association between individual genetic polymorphisms and cytokines in predicting HBV infection susceptibility.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the association between IFN-γ gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to hepatitis B viral infection (HBV), and the impact of these genetic polymorphisms on IFN-γ production. IFN-γ (+874A/T, rs2430561, and +2109A/G, rs1861494) was genotyped by single-stranded polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR) in 126 Egyptians with chronic HBV infection and in 100 healthy control subjects. The plasma levels of IFN-γ were measured by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results: Compared to the control subjects there was a slight increase in +874TT genotype frequency in HBV patients. However, no statistical significance in IFN-γ (+874A/T and +2109A/G) genotype/allele distribution was demonstrated, indicating the lack of association between these SNPs and susceptibility to HBV infection. In +2109A/G, only AG genotype was observed with a complete abrogation of GG and AA genotypes. Haplotypes between different loci on selected genes showed insignificant changes in their frequency in patients and control subjects. HBV patients had a significantly higher level of IFN-γ (P < 0.001) compared to controls. The maximum significant increase in IFN-γ production was observed in subjects harboring the +874TA genotype.

Conclusions: As no association could be characterized between the polymorphism in IFN-γ (+874A/T and +2109A/G) and susceptibility to chronic HBV infection, our data support the concept that IFN-γ gene polymorphisms are not predictors of HBV susceptibility in this segment of the Egyptian population.

Keywords: Egyptian; HBV; IFN-γ; Polymorphism Grants and funding:

This work was funded by Taif University Researchers SupportingProject number TURSP-2020/103 and the National LiverInstitute (NLI) of Menoufia University, Egypt.

Conflicts of interest:

The authors have no conflict of interests to declare.

Dondeti MF, Abdelkhalek MS, El-Din Elezawy HM, Alsanie WF, Raafat BM, Gamal-Eldeen AM, Talaat RM. Association between interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) gene polymorphisms (+874A/T and +2109A/G), and susceptibility to hepatitis B viral infection (HBV). J Appl Biomed. 2022;20(1):37-43. doi:10.32725/jab.2022.001. PubMed PMID:35099129.