Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is associated with high maternal and fetal mortalities. The aim of the study was to find cytokine gene polymorphisms in relation to HEV infection during pregnancy. A total of 262 pregnant and 208 non-pregnant women with hepatitis, 262 healthy pregnant and 208 non-pregnant women as controls. The study group were pregnant and non-pregnant women with HEV infection, not infected with HEV and controls. Genotyping was carried out by PCR-RFLP and ARMS-PCR methods. The frequencies of TNF-α -308 A allele & AA genotype, IFN-γ +874 T allele & TT genotypes were significantly higher in pregnant women with HEV infection compared to other groups. The frequency of TGF-β1 codon 10 +869 T allele &TT genotype and codon 25 +915 G allele & GG genotype were significantly higher in pregnant women compared to non-pregnant women with HEV infection. The frequency of IL-6-174 GG genotype was significantly higher in pregnant women with HEV infection compared to not infected with HEV and controls. Cytokine gene polymorphisms shows association with preterm delivery (TNF-α -308 AA, IFN-γ +874 AA, TGF-β1 codon 10 +869 TT & codon 25 GG genotypes), low birth weight (TNF-α -308 GG & IL-6 -174 CC genotypes), fetal loss (IL-6-174 CC genotype), and small for date (IL-6-174 CC & TGF-β1 codon 10 +869 TC genotypes) of HEV infected pregnant women compared to not infected with HEV and controls. These findings suggest that cytokines gene polymorphisms were found to be associated with pregnant women with HEV infection and adverse pregnancy outcome.
Keywords: hepatitis E infection (HEV); interferon gamma (IFN-γ); interleukin-6 (IL-6); transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1); tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α).
© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.