Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Hepatitis C Virus Infected Patients and Interleukin-28B Gene Polymorphism: A Controversy Relationship

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered as one of the most common cancer worldwide for approximately 5.6% of all cancers, it is the third common cause of cancer death. It considers the most serious complication of hepatitis C virus infection, because the onset of the disease occurs slowly, many patients are unaware of their infection and at least 40% cases remain undetected.

Aim: This study was carried out to evaluate the association of IL28B gene polymorphism with HCC in HCV infected Egyptian patients in HCV genotype-4 infection.

Methods: This cross-sectiona, case control study was conducted on three groups. Group I (HCC cases among positive HCV antibody patients), Group II (positive HCV antibody patients with no hepatic focal lesion), and Group III (healthy individuals).Extracted DNA for each individual was examined for IL-28B rs8099917 SNP. The analysis was performed using taqman technique.

Results: The percentage of genotype IL-28B rs8099917 in the studied groups was statistically investigated which showed homo (TT) in (100%) in the control group and the polymorphism showed statistically significant different among the study groups (p value < 0.016). IL-28B rs8099917 allelic discrimination was reinvestigated again between HCC group and HCV group only but it showed no significant difference (p value = 0.814). The polymorphisms of IL-28B rs8099917 was statistically investigated regarding to clinical data of HCC group but it showed no significant difference.

Conclusion: IL-28B rs8099917 genotype showed a significant difference between HCV positive patients (either with HCC or without) compared with healthy people.