Polymorphisms of Antioxidant System Genes in HCV Infection and Their Role in the Development of Chronic Hepatitis C

Abstract

© 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. To study the contribution of polymorphic variants of antioxidant system enzyme genes to the susceptibility to chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and to elicit their associative relationships with a clinical course of the disease. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of antioxidant enzymes genes, superoxide dismutase SOD2 (rs4880, C47T), and catalase CAT (rs1001179, G262A) were studied in 100 patients with CHC, 86 “anti-HCV carriers,” and 64 healthy individuals. The study involved a genomic DNA analysis with the use the diagnostic kit “SNP Screen.” DNA was extracted from samples collected from the cheek epithelium. There was a statistically significant relationship between CAT SNPs (rs1001179, G262A) and a high risk of chronic hepatitis C. It has been found that the presence of the CAT gene (G262A) G allele increases the susceptibility to chronic hepatitis C. Patients with the CAT SNP (G262A) G allele (GG and GA genotypes) had significantly higher ALT levels than those with the A allele (AA genotype). The study has demonstrated that CHC patients with the CAT SNP (G262A) G allele (G/G G/A genotype) had a significantly higher risk of liver fibrosis progression as compared with those with the A/A genotype. Thus, with hepatitis C virus infection, polymorphic variants of CAT genes (G262A) are risk factors for the development of chronic hepatitis C and affect a clinical course of the disease, including the development of hepatic cytolysis, and as a result, the formation of liver fibrosis. The roles of genes polymorphisms coding for the anti-oxidant enzyme which play a role in the development of CHC were evaluated. The G/A genotype of CAT SNP (rs1001179, G262A) is a genetic risk factor for the development of chronic hepatitis C, with the G/G genotype of CAT SNP (rs1001179, G262A) being a risk factor for liver fibrosis.