Role of IFN-ks, IFN-ks related genes and the DEPDC5 gene in Hepatitis B virus-related liver disease.

Recent studies have associated genetic variation near the interleukin 28B (IL28B/IFN-λ3) gene with natural clearance of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and a common variant in the DEP domain containing 5 (DEPDC5) locus on chromosome 22 has been shown to affect susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Japanese individuals with chronic HCV infection. This study was conducted to determine whether polymorphisms near or in interferon-lambda (IFN-λs) genes and their receptor genes such as interleukin 28 receptor, alpha (IL28RA) and interleukin 10 receptor, beta (IL10RB) as well as p21-activated kinases 4 (PAK4) and iron/zinc purple acid phosphatase-like protein (PAPL), which are locate upstream of IFN-λs, and lastly the DEPDC5 gene are associated with hepatitis B virus-related liver disease in Han Chinese. The study subjects included 507 normal healthy controls, 350 individuals with natural clearance of HBV and 792 HBV-infected patients. The patients were categorized into 157 inactive carriers (Case I), 216 active carriers (Case II), 111 cirrhotics (Case III) and 308 HCC patients (Case IV) subgroups. Seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped using the Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionisation mass spectrometric (MALDI-TOF MS) SNP genotyping assay. Rs423058 upstream of PAPL, rs2834167 in IL10RB and rs1012068 in DEPDC5 were associated with chronic HBV status, HBV natural clearance and the presence of HCC (P = 0.0004–0.024), respectively. PAPL, IL10RB and DEPDC5 polymorphisms have an impact on progression of HBV-related liver disease. However, IFN-λs genes as a tool to differentiate between different clinical courses of HBV infection were not useful in the Han Chinese population.