Objective: To investigate the association that the polymorphisms of interleukin 10 gene (IL10) promoter region are related to the susceptibility and clinical phenotypes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Chinese Han population.
Methods: With polymerase chain reaction with restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method, the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of the promoter region of IL10 gene at position -1082G/A, -819T/C, -592A/C were detected in 231 patients with chronic hepatitis B, 165 individuals spontaneously recovered from HBV infection and 135 normal controls.
Results: No significant difference was found in frequencies of genotypes and alleles of IL10 gene promoter region at position -1082G/A, -819T/C, -592A/C among normal controls, individuals spontaneously recovering from HBV infection and patients with chronic hepatitis B (P>0.05), also between patients with HBV infection with HBV-DNA<1x10(3)copies/mL and those with HBV-DNA> or =1 x 10(3)copies/mL (P>0.05). However, frequencies of TT genotype at position -819T/C and AA genotype at position -592A/C in chronic hepatitis B were significantly higher than that in asymptomatic HBV carriers (P<0.05).
Conclusion: It is possible that genetic polymorphisms of IL10 promoter region are not associated with both susceptibility of HBV infection and HBV-DNA replication after infected HBV in Chinese Han population. However, the polymorphisms of the promoter region IL10 at position -819T/C and -592A/C are related to inflammatory reaction to liver of the patients with HBV infection.