Endoscopy 2005; 37 - A46
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-922908

A polymorphism in the interferon stimulated gene PKR is not associated with the persistence of hepatitis C viraemia in a homogenous population of irish females

DS Manning 1, 2, M O'Brien 2, 3, CP O'Brien 1, 2, JE Hegarty 1, 3, C O'Farrelly 2, 3
  • 1National Liver Transplant Unit
  • 2Education and Research Centre, St.Vincents University Hospital
  • 3Conway Institute, U.C.D

Aims: Complex host and viral factors interact to determine the outcome of Hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection. It has not been determined whether the signalling pathway and production of interferon alpha is defective in patients who fail to spontaneously clear HCV.

Methods: We sought to determine whether there was an association between a C/T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at the -168 position in the promoter region of the interferon stimulated gene RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) and the persistence of Hepatitis C viraemia We examined the distribution of this polymorphism in a well-studied, ethnically homogenous cohort of women, all infected with hepatitis C genotype 1. The SNP was examined by PCR amplification and restriction enzyme digestion.

Results: DNA samples from 114 patients (69 HCV PCR positive) were genotyped. The distribution of the 3 genotypes in the PCR positive group was: C/C 56 (81.2%), C/T 13 (18.8%), T/T 0 (0%) and that of the PCR negative group C/C 39 (86.7%), C/T (4 (8.9%), T/T 2 (4.4%). There was no statistically significantly difference between these results.

Conclusions: There was no association found between the genotype distribution of the PKR -168 polymorphism and the persistence of hepatitis C viraemia.