Fc receptor-like 5 gene polymorphisms and mRNA expression are associated with liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B

Jiajia Yang; Juan Gu; Hongmei Wang; Jiayin Shi; Lingyun Lu; Wanxian She; Ying Wang

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.988464

Fc receptor-like 5 gene polymorphisms and mRNA expression are associated with liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B

Front Microbiol. 2022 Sep 9:13:988464. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.988464. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Jiajia Yang¹, Juan Gu², Hongmei Wang¹, Jiayin Shi³, Lingyun Lu⁴, Wanxian She⁴, Ying Wang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Infection Management, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China.
² Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Yancheng Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Yancheng, China.
³ Department of Outpatient, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China.
⁴ Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the associations of Fc receptor-like 5 (FCRL5) gene polymorphisms and mRNA expression with liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods: A total of 114 CHB patients with liver fibrosis and 120 CHB patients without liver fibrosis were selected for this study. The gender, age, body mass index (BMI), alanine transaminase (ALT) value, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) value, aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), and fibrosis index based on 4 factors (FIB-4) were recorded. Two polymorphisms of the FCRL5 gene (rs6427384 and rs6692977) were genotyped. The mRNA expression level of FCRL5 in peripheral blood monocytes was determined. Results: ALT, AST, APRI, and FIB-4 in patients with fibrosis were significantly higher than those in non-fibrosis patients. There was statistically significant difference between fibrosis and non-fibrosis groups in the genotype distribution (χ² = 7.805, p = 0.020) and allele frequencies (χ² = 13.252, p < 0.001) at FCRL5 rs6692977. When compared with CC genotype, the genotype CT or TT at rs6692977 was significantly associated with a increased risk of liver fibrosis in CHB patients (CT vs. CC: OR = 1.921, 95% CI = 1.093-3.375, p = 0.023; TT vs. CC: OR = 2.598, 95% CI = 1.067-6.324, p = 0.031). The mRNA relative expression levels of FCRL5 in patients with liver fibrosis were significantly higher than those in the non-fibrosis group (t = 13.456, p < 0.001). The fibrosis patients carried TT or CT genotype of rs6692977 had significantly higher FCRL5 mRNA expression levels than those carried CC genotype (t = 2.859, p = 0.005). The mRNA expression levels of FCRL5, APRI, and FIB-4 index showed predictive efficacy in liver fibrosis with cut-off values of 0.75 (AUC = 0.896, 95% CI = 0.856-0.935), 0.45 (AUC = 0.852, 95% CI = 0.802-0.902) and 1.84 (AUC = 0.765, 95% CI = 0.703-0.826), respectively. Conclusion: FCRL5 gene rs6692977 polymorphisms and mRNA expression levels are associated with liver fibrosis in CHB patients.

Keywords: Fc receptor-like 5; association study; chronic hepatitis B; gene polymorphisms; liver fibrosis.