Association of human platelet antigens polymorphisms with susceptibility to hepatitis C virus infection in Chinese population

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic hepatitis. Previous studies have identified a number of single nucleotide polymorphisms that are associated with HCV infection. Human platelet antigens (HPAs) polymorphisms play an important role in several diseases. Here, we demonstrated the association of the HPA-2, HPA-3, HPA-5 and HPA-15 polymorphisms with susceptibility to HCV infection in Chinese population. Overall, 118 patients with HCV and 167 controls were genotyped for HPAs. There were no significant differences in the allele and genotype frequency distribution for the HPA-3, HPA-5 and HPA-15 systems between the patients with chronic HCV infection and the healthy controls (p > .05). However, the genotype frequency of HPA-2aa was significantly lower, while HPA-2ab/bb was significantly higher in patients than that in the controls (p = .006). The allele frequency of HPA-2a in patients was significantly lower than that in the control group (p = .005). In contrast, HPA-2b in patients was significantly higher than that in the control group (p = .005). We conclude that HPA-2 polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to HCV infection, and individuals carrying the HPA-2b allele may have a higher risk of HCV infection compared with individuals carrying HPA-2a.

Human platelet antigens polymorphisms; association to the development of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C

“…On the other hand, some investigators also have reported an association between the susceptibility to the HCV infection and the gene frequencies of HPAs . For the first time, the allelic and genotype frequencies for HPAs polymorphisms in HCV infected patients and blood donors reported by Verdichio‐Moraes et al in Brazil population.…”

“…In another study in the Chinese population, Zhou et al showed that the genotype frequency of HPA‐2aa was significantly lower, while HPA‐2ab/bb was significantly higher in patients compared with the control group. Also, the allelic frequency of HPA‐2a in patients was significantly lower than in the control group.…”

“…Recently, it has been suggested that the HPA polymorphism might be associated with the susceptibility to the viral infections like dengue virus, HCV infections, and HIV/HCV coinfection, and as an immunogenic host factor in predisposing toward the fibrosis . So that, here we studied the frequency of HPA‐1, HPA‐2, HPA‐3, HPA‐4, HPA‐5, and HPA‐15 polymorphisms among Iranian HCV infected patients with and without fibrosis/cirrhosis and any potential correlation between the HPAs and outcomes of HCV has been investigated.…”

Gene frequencies of human platelet antigen‐1 to ‐5 and ‐15 in the Iranian population

“…In some reports, the association of human platelet antigens polymorphisms with susceptibility to hepatitis C virus infection were shown too [30,31].…”