Genetic Aspects of Hcv Associated Arthritis: Evaluation of the Development and Clinical Course of the Disease

Abstract

To study the nature of the association of IL-6 genotypes with the development and progression of the clinical course of associated arthritis (HCVaA) with viral hepatitis C. The study examined 52 patients with HCVaA in addition to a comparison group of 23 patients with chronic hepatitis C who had no signs of arthritis. IL-6 gene polymorphism was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction. The genotype C174G of the IL-6 gene in patients diagnosed with HCVaA is dominated by the genotypes of the G-allele, homozygous G/G and heterozygous C/G. Patients with HCVaA showed a decrease in the C/C genotypic variant of the IL-6 gene in the C174G genotype and an increase in the C/G genotypic variant compared to practically healthy people. The deterioration in the development and progression of the disease in patients with HCVaA is mainly associated with an increase in the heterozygous C/G variant. To predict the development and progression of HCVaA, it is necessary to determine the C174G polymorphism of the IL-6 gene.