HLA-DRB1 is related to the pathological changes of the liver in chronic hepatitis C

Abstract

We examined the association between the HLA-DRB1 allele and the development of pathological changes in the liver in patients chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) to determine the role of the immune system in the development of chronic hepatitis C. We examined 124 patients positive for HCV-RNA, who had undergone a liver biopsy and allele typing of the HLA-DRB1. Pathological changes in the liver were assessed by the histology activity index (HAI) score and HLA-DRB1 was typed by the polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific olygonucleotide probe (PCR-SSOP) method using DNA extracted from the peripheral blood of patients. HAI scores in category 1, 3 and 4 but not in category 2 were related with the HLA-DRB1 allele. Patients positive for DRB1*1101, 0802 and 1302 had a lower HAI score than those positive for other alleles. Although the HAI score was related to the age of patients chronically infected with HCV, the mean age of subjects positive for DRB1*1101, 0802 or 1302 was not lower than those positive for other alleles. Neither the serum level nor the serotype of the virus was associated with histological damage to the liver. These findings suggest that the HLA-DRB1 allele is associated with the severity of histological damage of the liver mediated by the immune system in chronic hepatitis C.