Interleukin-28B rs12979860 C/T Polymorphism and Acute Cellular Rejection after Liver Transplantation

• Published in: International journal of organ transplantation medicine Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 28 - 33
• Main Authors: Fereidooni, H, Azarpira, N, Yaghobi, R, Vahdati, A, Malek-Hoseini, S A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Iran Shiraz University of Medical Sciences 2017; Avicenna Organ Transplantation Institute
• Subjects: Cirrhosis; IL-28B polymorphism; Interleukin; Liver transplantation; Original; Rejection; Rejection; Cirrhosis; IL-28B polymorphism; Interleukin; Liver transplantation
• ISSN: 2008-6482; 2008-6490

Interleukin-28 (IL-28B) rs12979860 C/T polymorphism is a known predictor of sustained virological response after antiviral treatment in hepatitis C. IL-28B affects the innate immune system as well as intrahepatic expression level of interferon-stimulated genes. To investigate the effect of recipient IL-28B polymorphism on occurrence of acute rejection after liver transplantation. 140 liver allograft recipients were selected. Acute rejection episodes were recorded in 39 patients (AR group); the remaining had normal graft function (non-AR group). 70 normal subjects were also studied as the control group. The IL-28B rs12979860 was genotyped through PCR-RFLP method. No significant difference was found between AR and non-AR groups in terms of genotype and allele frequency. However, the CC genotype was significantly (p<0.001) more frequent in patients than in the control group; the allele variants increased the risk of end-stage liver disease (OR: 2.60). Liver damage in association with the carriage of IL-28B C allele is associated with a higher likelihood of developing cirrhosis.